KOTONARU
by Samcoz95
Summary: A boy named Samu Kotonaru from the Sound Village leads his team, Dana, Chijin, and sensei Kenshin through trials and mischiveous tasks with their new friends from Konoha! The kinds of hardships await our heroes through history, love, tretory and trust. Aside from the conflicts, something evil is waiting to be shown for the world to see in this action story. Did I mention love here?
1. KOTONARU

**KOTONARU**

Throughout the Hidden Sound Village there lived a boy named Samu with a family of four, his mother and father along with the oldest son, Tanahu. The Hidden Sound Village had been created and formed for peace and living quarters for the people and prosperous forms of civilization. The villagers provided everything the family needed, up until that night… the time where Samu and Tanahu saw only true fear upon everything else.

On that very night, Tanahu brought Samu outside in the middle of their supper, whilst their parents were fighting and shouting at each other over other reasons… the two had an idea, but both had different perspectives.

"Samu, stay outside now before they notice us!"

Samu only nodded in confusion, for he was but a child still, younger than Tanahu.

"I need you to stay away and don't let them notice you, okay? Just head around the garden quickly," he said as they heard shouting and a small act of violence around the dojo.

Samu went around through the garden and left their home across the fence that was surrounding the dojo, and as he walked further he seemed more confused, for Tanahu had something in mind he wanted to share with his brother.

"You need to stay strong brother. What I have to say to you may not get through your head just yet, but I have to tell you now. Mother and father… they… keep fighting so much.." Tanahu had trouble saying it all.

As he explained to his little brother the both of them could hear shouts of people calling their names. It was their parents.

"Samu!" Tanahu said as the voices got closer, and he threw his backpack at his little brother, making Samu trip and fall down the small hill that they thought was an enormous drop.

"Samu no!"

Little Samu fell and plunged down again and again, then stopped with more grunts than he's ever done before. He had gotten up quickly when he stopped tumbling though… his heart racing as he searched for his brother. He only heard his parents call for him, but that didn't stop Samu to remember what his brother said, "You need to stay strong brother."

If only Samu knew what to do through the beautiful sunset and across the Sound Village. If only I had known this boy was to get into this sort of thing. So young, and prosperous indeed. The country was hard on this boy.

Many years pass, and I find the boy wanting to be a ninja. Who knew that through all my years as a sensei, I would have such a trio of promising Genin. Well, at least they know the basics of being students.

They best be prepared. I can tell they show much promise. Especially you Samu…


	2. Continuing Genin

**1: THE CONTINUING GENIN**

At the start of all training from what a Jounin would normally do is to train their students in groups of three to perform small based missions to test and expand the ninja abilities towards the Genin, or in other words, a sensei would train their three students to become a higher rank. Of course, it isn't up to me that tells whether the kids are ready, but it comes from my will power and heart for me to tell if these students can greatly become what I see as "Ninja".

Now at the start of training Genin it would be wise to not take control over too many of what they already know. Expectations is what I personally don't like, so I try to show what they don't know already at the same time, just to be fair.

If anything, a ninja should use "Chakra", a special form of spirit and will-power to perform special techniques that only ninja can do. Chakra comes from two places: the body energy inherent in the trillions of their cells and the mental & spiritual energy gained from exercise and experience. The way that a ninja uses their Chakra, or special techniques, is to use the energy and raw abilities that a ninja either inherits, or learns from experience in overall ability.

Another and more common way a ninja uses Chakra is to perform Jutsu. A "Jutsu" is a major or minor technique that allows the user to control the Chakra and, depending on what it is, can be able to use the power towards anything. To perform a jutsu, the ninja will bring out and release these two energies. The amount of chakra required for a technique will vary depending upon its size and complexity. Each ninja has the potential to better utilize an elemental Ninjutsu style.

For Ninjutsu the ninja's chakra control will determine how much chakra is used on the technique. For ninja with excellent chakra control, they will use the minimum amount with nothing wasted. For ninja with poor chakra control, they will expend more chakra than needed to accomplish their jutsu.

Chakra flows through the body's chakra circulatory system. On a more microscopic level is these channels connecting all the vital points on the body. These small channel pathways travel between the cells of the body. They carry the generated chakra and allow the ninja to mold it. If these channels are severed, it is beyond the ability of even skilled medical ninja to repair. On the large scale the chakra circulatory system travels throughout the body and around the internal organs also responsible for creating chakra. This system includes 361 tenketsu, which are tiny pin points through which the chakra flows.

These jutsu's can be used to fight opponents or other ninja. The whole point of our village's "ninja way" is to protect our village and oppose any person that threats or attack any of us. The way the Sound Village is against threats is not how others would react. Some of our ninja here… don't seem to have the sympathy like others do across our country. We have a strange village here..

Anyhow, I am a Jounin, which means that I am an experienced ninja and it's in my blood to protect and serve for our village. Also I have to teach and train other lower ninja, I also don't have a choice otherwise.

Like I said before, a Jounin has to train/teach lower ninja, so here I am, ready to train these Genin all I can. I can't help but worry a little…

…

Samu Kotonaru: a Genin-level ninja, four-teen years old and passed from the ninja academy here in the Sound Village after passing the first year graduation. He's a sound ninja like us, and I haven't heard much left about him… he'll just be another Genin like the rest of them. He also lives with his older brother-.

This boy was easy to train I'll tell you that. A jutsu he picked up on his own was the substitution trap, where the ninja would be attacked from close-combat and leaves an animated "substitution" to be attacked instead, whilst the real ninja form could sweep the attacker from behind. An excellent counter maneuver. I also remembered when he showed me his strongest jutsu he said he had. While the other two Genin I have to train stood back and watched, I allowed what was about to happen. He wanted to show me what he could do. I was actually hoping for someone to say and show me what they can do. This would help me on how and what to teach them.

I was really curious for Samu…

I could feel my Chakra ready to be used and be released from what I had. My real time to show my friends what I had in mind, had come. It's only a small test, so I guess-

"Come on Samu, aren't you ready?" my sensei shouted to me as we both stood facing each other across an empty plain in a forest.

I look to my friends who stood near a tree and were waiting with smiles to see what would happen next. I guess this was it..

"Sound Strike Jutsu!" I shouted and applied the proper hand sings to perform my ninjutsu. I felt my chakra go through my right fist and I dashed toward my sensei, quickly seeing him and feeling the warm air blow through as I dashed!

My jutsu contained Chakra and I used it to display my power and ninja ability. I dashed toward my sensei ready for a strike of sound! I lunged toward him with my charged fist and he.. Suddenly blocked with his right arm to deflect my own attack! I was sheered and amazed at his move, his speed..

My fist went straight to the ground where green grass was now a hole in the earth, from my deflected shot. As I layed there, I couldn't let my guard down a bit at all! I took a couple of breaths and turned back around to face him again standing up. I looked at his area… suddenly he was gone!

I didn't have time to think until-

-Suddenly shuriken had been thrown at my feet and gotten stuck on the ground near me. I only watched as three of them went for me. I stood in a little shame, as I lost to the test. My sensei then dashed on the ground next to me, about four feet away, and accepted the win.

"Well well. That sure was something Samu, I didn't think you had it in you. Now what have you learned from all that?" he asked as the other of my teammates came closer to us.

"I learned that charging head-on to an opponent can be risky as well as using Chakra to attack first. Having a small plan to what to do next after an attack like that could be useful too. I didn't think about it until you threw those shuriken at my direction," I explained to them, looking at the ground, then back to sensei.

"Good answer. A lesson for all of you: thinking of a plan is VERY vital towards attacking or defending of any kind. A smart ninja could plan a maneuver or even think of something fast, either way there still will be decision making, and it could cost you. Take it to consideration you all," he said to us.

My sensei's name: is Kenshin Anata. A Jounin from our Sound Village and a personal teacher to me!

…

These kids sure are something to teach about. I've been their sensei for about a week already, and they show quite promise towards me and themselves. I'm not sure why but I think I feel like I'm not surprised. Hm…

I've already introduced Samu Kotonaru, so I'll head onto the other boy: Chijin Sonohoka.

He's a quiet ninja, and often doesn't have much to say about what I tell him or the others. I'm sure he talks more around his teammates other than me alone. He likes to fight with counter attacks to use against his enemy. Pretty impressive if you ask… well anyone else. It's quite different.

Then there's Dana Hyuuga, I think she's originally from the Sand Village. I don't quite know about it though. She is a good fighter, probably better with scouting ahead and then attacking up close, but not without a strategic plan to go along with. This girl has an inherited trait from her family somewhere In the Sand Village (I believe so, not too sure about it). Her inherited trait is special because it's a type of ninja technique to use against fighting other ninja.

The Kekkei Genkai are the abilities passed down from parent to child. These genetic inheritances grant the ninja unique abilities and physical traits not found anywhere else in the world.

What Dana has is the Byakugan, which when it is activated, the clan member gains an extra-sensory perception, which gives them penetrating sight and telescopic vision. This allows them to see the tenketsu; the internal chakra coils system 361 pressure points. This inherited trait can be told and seen from both eyes of the user, and veins are also visible from the outer eye region.

The user uses this ability in conjunction with their own chakra creating the Juuken (gentle fist) fighting style. The ninja can use their fingers or palms to emit chakra to flow into their opponents body's at the tenketsu points. When the hand draws close enough to strike, the member can stop or increase their opponent's chakra flow. The internal chakra coils which spread throughout the body also wrap around the internal chakra producing organs. So if the internal coils are attacked, it also damages these internal organs. Because a ninja can not train their internal body, such damage can be a critical hit for even a highly skilled ninja. The tenketsu serve as the connectors and exit points for the chakra pathways. So when they are stopped by the Hyuuga clan member, the ninja greatly loses his or her ability to utilize their chakra for jutsu.

Anyway, sorry for saying all that about them. I'm sure all that about Dana didn't interest you that much. At least not as much as Chijin am I right?

Samu Kotonaru… what's so peculiar about him that I find sort of amusing and interested in? his fighting style seems to be about right, with some more training and missions involved, he can become into something great. Nevertheless, only time will tell.

My name is Shinrai Jibun. This is the story of my team.

"Team Sound".


	3. The Start Of It All

**2: THE START OF IT ALL**

Every Genin ninja has to go through lots of training and experience throughout their early days and months, in order to take the exams and tests to become a Chunin, which is a higher rank of a ninja, after a Genin. In order to become a Chunin level ninja they have to exceed the tasks of taking up to 8 missions with their sensei, and later take what is called, the Chunin Exams.

The exams this year are hosted in the Hidden Leaf Village in the Fire Country. There are levels of the exams, but we'll let our students find out first who and what they'll be up against…

My name is Kenshin Anata. This is what happened during the exams.

…

"Good morning you two," Dana says to us as we wait outside of the Sound Village, not too far outside, just enough to keep us near the border.

"Hey Dana. How'd you sleep from yesterday's mission?" I ask her.

"Oh great Samu thanks for asking. I sure was beat when we had to chase that thief, that turned out to be an ex-ninja!" she replied, which struck my memory.

"Oh yeah I almost forgot about that! That ninja must have been a Chunin or something for stealing and almost getting away from us. Good thing we worked together, otherwise he would've gotten away with the package," I replied with excitement.

"I forgot… what was the package we returned to our sensei again? After we got back the package we didn't even open the small box.."

"Yeah what was it?" Chijin suddenly asks.

"It was my lunch," Kenshin sensei just appears from behind Dana!

"Well, I let him have some right afterward anyway, but it sure was good Ramen noodle!"

We look at him in surprised expressions. We couldn't help but ask him all these questions.

"Where'd you come from sensei?" I asked.

"I walked. Didn't you see or notice me at least? You all are Genin ninja after all."

"What did you mean, your lunch that man had? That couldn't have been your lunch, we had taken it from his bare hands and he almost struck us, it had to have been more worth than that!" Dana asked this time.

"It was my lunch I swear. That 'package' was my lunch I had purposely given to that man, and I paid him to run away and shriek out with his 'stolen' box of wrapped ramen noodle. Pretty under the radar don't you think?"

We look at him in AWE. WHAT KIND OF SENSEI TRICKS US "UNDER THE RADAR"?

"But weren't you going to give us actual missions we had to accomplish, and not something odd like that? How does that count as an official mission?" Chijin asked.

"Oh I made sure that something like that was an official mission. There was a purpose to all of it than you think. A lot more to it. I wanted to surprise you all with something like that. You all needed experience in a high situation that required to acquire a sudden stolen object that needed to be back into the right hands. Something so sudden and spontaneous needed to be in your thoughts and vision, and mainly to be one of the priorities in becoming a ninja that does missions."

He says all this to us while we look at him with our jaws dropped, but then we got serious. I figured out after he told us, this was part of our training: to make us experience what it had to be like and what had to be done in a "high situation" like that. So he paid the guy to run away… with a headband?

"Hey wait sensei," I ask after thinking, "What about his headband the man had? Who's was that if he wasn't a real ninja?"

Everyone else looked and listened in on this.

He smiles. "it was my headband. I told him to wear it."

Whoa! The sensei actually went that far to carry on a mission like that? He really must have wanted to make us learn something out of this, because something like that shouldn't happen at all! (At least in my book)

"Wow. I can't believe that you can make up a mission just like that, just for us to learn something!" Dana says.

"You really would go out of your way to do something like that right sensei?" I told him while Dana and Chijin stood and listened.

"I sure would," our sensei replied. But he said something else right after he was talking to us.

"I have some news for you three that are pretty important. That is if you care enough to become actual ninja."

"What do you mean sensei?" Dana asked.

"I think the three of us could care more than some other ninja around the village," Chijin said.

"Good point Chijin. But now is not the time to think about other ninja other than yourselves. What you all are going to do is sign up for the Chunin Exams that are in a couple of days from now. Now since you three are one of the only teams that we have in the Sound Village here, I would suggest that you three sign up immediately when registration occurs. What I am saying is"-

"Wait a minute… what exams?" I butted in and asked.

"What I was going to say is"-

"These exams? What kind of registration are we doing?" Dana butted in as well.

"Now what I was going to say was"-

"When are we going to eat sensei?" Chijin followed right through.

_*sigh* I can't believe these kids won't let me finish this important objective I have to say._

"Alright everyone settle down now, I'll explain everything," sensei said.

We looked at him standing while he stood with a slouch and was chewing bubble gum.

"The Chunin is the basic journeyman ninja of the village. These ninja can become field doctors or teachers. They were formerly Genin who were promoted for displaying excellent intelligence, strategy and combat skills in the Chunin Exam. Chunin have the equivalent rank of military captain, exhibiting strong stamina, knowledge and inner wisdom. Do you get what I am saying?" he says to us.

I nodded and somewhat understood. We are only Genin right now, but if we pass this "Exam" then we could become another rank up from the ninja level. A Chunin ninja!

_Him… a medic sounds really interesting other than fighting. I'd like to see what it would have on the "perks" side of this though. My Byakugan could really give to an advantage, and maybe I could find something interesting I've been thinking about after these exams. –Dana_

"Chunin are made up of Genin who have passed the Chunin exam by exhibiting leadership and excellent combat sense. Genin can either win or lose the last Chunin Exam test. If they show sufficient qualities becoming of a Chunin, they can be appointed and officially become Chunin," sensei said once more.

I wonder what this will lead to…

There was a silence after he said that a Genin could either win or lose at this test. I made sure I heard it correctly.

"So.. I think I told what needed to be told. These exams are dangerous. Although it could give you all what you've been wanting. Dana, Chijin and Samu: you three are the ones I recommend for this entire exam. I wouldn't turn this down, after all, you three do want this type of ranking don't you?"

It's like he read my mind. I hope Chijin and Dana are thinking of the same thing…

"I have to report back somewhere. I won't say where. Bye you three," our sensei left right away!

The three of us noticed that he left and disappeared, but that wasn't what we three were thinking. I was thinking that in order to become a Chunin all three of us have to sign up for this exam and pass this test, or tests.

"Are you two thinking what I am thinking?" Dana asked in suspicion.

Chijin and I just looked at her.

"Well?" she persisted.

"I have to say something about all this. I think the three of us worked together long and hard enough to get through to become Genin and did what we could at the ninja academy. All that is in the past… and we need to take that Chunin Exam." I said it all with confidence but in a serious tone.

"I was hoping to think of the same thing and get through this together. So somewhat we have the same idea in common," she replied.

"But that doesn't mean we have to fight or argue about what our different opinions have to say about this. We have to register and take this exam," I replied back to her.

"I get what you're saying Samu. Think about the three of us first: Do you think the three of us together can do this on our own?"

"Yeah most definitely. The three of us can do this!"

"As a team of course. What if this exam test has to do with us individually?"

"Wait… so you're saying…"

"I'm saying what if we have to work alone? Listen this is just a thought. I'm in on this Chunin exam perfectly through. I just have a thought that we would have to question about this kind of thing before we sign up, and say it to you two. I don't know if we really have to but we should really think about it first," Dana said to us and I knew Chijin was listening as well.

Dana always had that kind of mind ever since we met at the Academy. Chijin, Kenshin sensei and I knew that she was the reasonable type of ninja and the friend that would pick words first, than actions. We also knew that she was the team's planning girl and would pick a plan out first. I don't know what we'd do without her.

That's why I trusted her at what she said. I knew.

"I understand Dana. I completely understand. Thanks," I replied while looking at her and smiling.

"No thank you for letting me say that."

"What about you Chijin?" I asked him.

I didn't know Chijin that well but I knew that he was the fighting type for up close counter attacks, and we needed that. Plus he was the strong and silent type part of our squad.

We waited for his response. Then a strong breeze of wind blew, and it started getting a bit cold during our conversation.

"Well?" Dana asked.

"I'll do whatever you guys want," he answered FINALLY.

"Really Chijin?"

"Chijin, if you feel any different around this exam or anything"-

"No, it's fine. We should do this. It'll be good for us."

I never thought he would answer like that. He just said it straight up and to the point.

That's when I knew he was that kind of guy.

…

We picked up the registration papers Kenshin sensei gave us on the ground when he disappeared before we had our team talk. One of the papers had almost flown away from the breeze, which made me chase after one of them for me! It was annoying.

After we had filled out our registration forms we had been guessing where exactly to turn them in and whom to turn it into. Until one of us realized what it said on the fine print…

"Uhm… my paper says the exams are going to be in the Hidden Leaf Village. Isn't that in the Fire Country?" Chijin said as Dana and I trotted next to each other in front of him.

We heard what we said clearly and both of us couldn't help but look at our sheets and start freaking out! How was I supposed to know it's in another country? Our sensei barely tells us anything, he's so lazy! He could have told us earlier!

Two days then passed an I had been excited since I found out we had to travel to the Hidden Leaf Village! After I said goodbye to my older brother Tanahu, Dana and I met up before the three of us (including Kenshin sensei) were to leave on our travel!

"Ready to head on out Samu?" she asked as we headed outside our village, because that's where all of us were going to meet up.

"I'm more than ready!" I responded with confidence.

"Honestly I'm glad the four of us get to go, after all we have to stay together remember?" she smiled.

"Right," I remembered what she talked about with us working together and all…

"Do you think Chijin is already at the spot we're supposed to meet at?"

"Maybe. He and Kenshin sensei probably already had met up."

"Well, let's head out faster then. Yes?" she smiled again.

I agreed and we hopped around buildings and raced to our destination: the outside of the Sound Village.

We met up again at the edge of our village.

"Looks like I beat you to it Samu," Dana exclaimed, crouched from her jump.

"Chijin, good to see you! Has Kenshin sensei showed up with you yet?" I asked him as he stood around.

"Nope," he answered with a smile and his eyes closed. Figures.

"Well then… now we just have to wait on until the guy actually shows up. I don't understand why he always has to come so late, it gets on my-"

"What were you saying Samu?" Kenshin appeared out of random right behind me!

"Ahhhh!" I hopped out of his way and faced him, me next to Chijin. How did this guy get here so quick and unnoticeable?

"Sensei, how did you..?" Dana asked.

"How could you have missed him Dana? You were looking right at me and sensei appeared right behind me!" I asked.

"I don't know… it happened so fast," she got nervous.

"Well then, that doesn't matter now. Don't we have a trip to take?" Kenshin sensei said to us. Smiling.

…

So the four of us started walking forward out of our country, onto the Fire Country, and our destination was the Hidden Leaf Village. Sounded exciting to me, but I couldn't help but wonder what the other's minds were thinking..

(I can't wait to see what lies ahead for all of us. A new kind of experience lies, and does this kind of adventure have a feeling for me that I can't help… but be more and more concerned? Maybe feel worried..?) - Dana

(We'll see how long the exams last. Then the time will come. All these kids have to do is make it through all this, then it'll happen in a flash. I can't help but worry though for the sake of these ninja in front of me…) - Kenshin Anata

(I hope this travel isn't too far, I don't want to walk that much.) - Chijin

"Are we almost there yet?" Chijin asked as we walked further up a steep hill from rocks that we passed. He hasn't said a thing since we left and that is all he has to say right now?

"Just about, although I'm not too sure," sensei replied.

"I wonder who we have to face against during these exams and all! Anyone else excited a bit?" I asked.

"I'm excited to tell you the truth, although we can't be too positive, we don't know what will happen then," Dana replied to me, making a smile.

We climbed up the hill and reached a peak, then allowing us to see the revealed and exposed urban area that shows us: The Hidden Leaf Village!

We had finally found it! It took one entire day to walk there from our Sound Village, that explains how the two country's are right next to each other. I had never been out of the Sound Village before, and the first place for me is the Leaf Village. Pretty exciting I guess.

"Here it is you all. The Hidden Leaf Village. Go ahead to the entrance and present your passes, they allow you to be in the village. I will meet with you all at the registration office," sensei said to us, then he disappeared from wince he was.

"Ok bye sensei-" he left before I finished.

"He has always had been doing that since we met him. Kind of strange," Dana added.

"Yeah, but how are we supposed to-"

"We should, umm… go find the registration office," Chijin added which interrupted me.

"Right! Let's start heading down there so we can sign up," Dana said right after.

I didn't mind the rush from the others, I just wanted to continue on what we had to do next: meet other ninja!


	4. Chunin Exams PART 1

**4: THE CHUNIN EXAMS: PART 1**

The three of us are ready to take on these exams just like we said, and now we are in the Leaf Village already anxious to see and experience what lies ahead! What kind of characters would we see and face through this episode? Check it out!

…

"So where do you all think the registration office is? This village can't be that hard to figure out," Dana asks as Chijin and I, along with her, look around through this path that had little shops and stores for citizens to buy and sell. Must be a market place!

"Well I don't think we'll find much of what we're looking for if we walk around this market," I said.

Then I had an epiphany!

"We can ask someone for help! Ask a ninja from here and see what they say," I suggested. Dana looked at me.

"Is it that easy?" she responded.

"Well, yeah it should be. Why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't know.. Ninja meeting others from other country's can't help but be skeptical, like how I am now."

"Oh I'm sure everything will be fine Dana, all we have to do is find some person to help us out and see what they say," I said after, and I looked around to find someone around here that had a headband with their village logo on it, and continued to search.

I had to leave my two comrades and search on my own if I were able to find anyone, so I told them and left. Why would Dana think it would be hard? I'm sure not everyone here is mean.

"GRRRR! SASUKE!" a loud voice was heard by me as I peaked over a fence and saw three people standing around, they were ninja! I could tell with their headbands!

"Sasuke, you always have to ruin my moment of showing what I have!" the boy in the orange suit had said, he also had blonde hair.

"I'm only doing this to make sure you don't look stupid. And it looks like you keep getting stupid," the other boy said. He had black hair and blue attire, and seemed quiet.

"Come on you two, you can't keep this up forever. Kakashi sensei said we have to meet at the registration office. So why don't we head there already? Naruto?" the girl had said. She looked very… "cute" is the word to say.

She had long pink hair and I could tell it was taken very cared of from where I was peaking. She also wore pink and red attire on her, she kind of reminded me of Dana from the way she tried to reason with the two that kept arguing. It was very cute…

"Oh you! Stop getting in my way Sasuke! You'll see how well I do with these exams things, and when it's all over, I can show you what I can do!" the boy in the orange said.

I looked puzzled as I studied them as quick as I could. I looked and stared at them then they just stood there, the three of them, and stood still. Very still. I didn't know what to think, what and why were they there and standing still?

They quickly turned their heads simultaneously and immediately as I squinted my eyes and the three of them gave me suspicious eyes. They could see me peaking from the fence!

I couldn't think fast enough to gain back my balance as I fell forward from trying to peak more and more ahead, and I landed on my face, revealing myself to them.

I could hear the silence and feel the way they looked at me. They knew then and there that I was spying… well I wouldn't say spying..

"Who the heck is that and why is he spying on us?"

"I haven't the slightest idea Naruto, but he does not look familiar."

"Sakura… maybe it's someone from the Academy that we missed."

"No, no it can't be. I remember almost everyone, and that guy doesn't look familiar at all."

I looked up at them and heard everything they said as my face was on the ground on the dirt. I picked myself up and looked at them and had no words to say. I was awkward and nervous…

"Well whoever he is, he best have a reason to explain why he was spying on us! You there!" the orange boy shouted at me.

"Uhh, wait I can explain!" I quickly said to him.

"Naruto calm down. This guy must have something to say first," the pink haired girl said.

(That headband..! What village is that from? That isn't from our Leaf village, more of… the Sound Village? But why?) - Sakura

"Um, yeah I can explain like I said…" I said nervously, as they look at me.

There was a long pause. I couldn't talk!

"Well?" the boy in the orange said. I think his name was Naruto, from the others were calling him. He was making me nervous.

"I… was just going to ask.. Where the registration office is, for the Chunin Exams," I said nervously and walked forward three steps to them.

They seemed to notice and more concerned with what I said.

Another pause.

"Um, so yeah? Do you all know where it is?" I asked.

(This guy must be like how we saw those Sand Village kids earlier. Ready and prepared to take on us for the Exams… just more competition with us. Those Sand ninja really want me to fight them although, and I could feel something with this kid.) - Sasuke

(So this guy is going to the Chunin Exams as well? Just like how we saw those Sand ninja before! I wonder what this guy could do since he is from the Sound Village!) - Naruto

"Well since you are from the Sound Village, telling from your headband around your neck, I can tell you that the ninja from the Leaf Village here mean not trouble as from now until the Chunin Exams, with whatever we have to do. So if you think you can pick a fight right now then you are wrong," the girl had said. I couldn't believe what she was telling me!

"Wha… okay? I don't want to pick any fights or cause any trouble of any kind I swear. I mean no harm, please. I just wanted to ask where the office is for the registrations are," I responded feeling more comfortable.

They looked at me.

"Ok. If you are so friendly then why were you SPYING on us?" Naruto exclaimed.

I got nervous again.

"I didn't know how to approach you guys! Plus I heard you all arguing so I had to peak and see what was going on," I said with a nervous smile.

Another pause.

I sighed and said, "Honestly me and squad came here to register for these exams and all, but what I was hoping and looking forward to is to meeting other ninja around the countries and see what kind of… friends I can make."

"Well if that is what you really wanted to do… then why not? We can be friends," the girl in the pink said to me, making me blush from her response. She smiled too.

The others looked at her and probably wondered why they would greet another foreigner.

"Hmmm… I'm still curious from what you want, stranger," Naruto said to me.

"Well why don't we get to know each other then? I'm Samu Kotonaru from the Hidden Sound Village, and can't wait to become a full filled ninja when I grow up! I'm a Genin!" I said to them with cool confidence.

"Hmph. Ok then," the boy in the blue said to me.

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha. I want to fight and avenge what and who I loved for. I aim to get REVENGE," he said with a dark tone. Creepy.

"Um okay… and I am Sakura Haruno! I want to become a ninja for-"

We were interrupted by Dana later coming in the scene, dashing next to me, which made me let out a surprised shout. Like I got scared.

"Dana! where did you come from?" I asked nervously.

"Chijin and I were looking for you, we thought it was kind of dumb for you to look for people by yourself. So we looked for you," she said back to me. Then she looked at the other ninja across from us.

"Oh! Dana these are ninja from here, the Hidden Leaf Village. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. They were just about to help me look for the registration office around here." I responded.

"Well I can tell that you all are from this village from your headbands. Nice to meet you all, I am Dana Hyuga from the Sound Village," she said to them smiling.

(Hyuga? Isn't she from..?) - Naruto

"Good to meet you too, on this time of notice. Yeah…" Sakura said.

"We'll be taking the Chunin Exams as well. Much competition this time I see," Sasuke said with a smirk. Naruto looked at him with a face.

"Hey wait a second! Nobody talk anymore! I didn't get to introduce myself from my teammates! I'm Naruto Uzumaki from the Hidden Leaf Village, and one day I'm going to become the Hokage of this village! So everybody-"

"Naruto stop it. Nobody wants to know anyway.." Sasuke said with his eyes closed and looked away from him. Just enough for all of us to hear.

"Oh yeah Sasuke? Well your story wasn't so interesting was it? More like boring!" he shouted back at him.

"Okay then… do you all know where the registration office is then?" Dana suggested to them.

The two only got back at each other making them look like fools, arguing about themselves and making a scene. Especially Naruto Uzumaki. I wanted to know more about him, but that other guy just keeps getting on his nerves. On my nerves as well…

Sakura Haruno… she walks up to us as we looked puzzled from the scene, and she explains to us.

"The registration office… I know where it is, if you all want to follow me toward it, then it'd be okay by us. Don't worry about those two, Naruto is just dumb. Why don't you all come with me?"

She said it all with a smirk and cool eyes. Very pretty green eyes.

"That actually sounds what we've been looking forward to. Shall we?" Dana said back to her as both of them got in front of me.

"Alright then! Hey I like your hair! Looks really good on you short," Sakura said to Dana as both of them walked together and talked away from the rest of us.

"Oh thanks, my hair just gets in the way so I just cut it a few weeks ago. It takes forever to grow though! I like your eyes they're so pretty!" she said back to her.

"Short hair sounds just about right. I got the color eyes from my mom," both of them got along.

Seems like Dana really could use a girlfriend around. Since we've become Genin, it's just been the three of us and Kenshin sensei for training, and I guess we've forgotten what we really have deep inside of us, other than ninja business.

That's what I fear with all of us. Getting so caught up with ninja missions and training, I'm afraid we forget what we really feel about lots of things. I hope nobody in these exams get lost in the action and stop caring…

I turn to the two boys arguing with their foreheads together ready like they want to fight each other.

"Shouldn't we go already guys? The girls are ahead of us," I told them and they looked at me.

"Right. We should go already. Naruto is just wasting time," Sasuke said like as if he recovered his cool right then and there. He walked towards the girls and kept up.

Naruto spit his tongue out at him while he didn't see.

"So… yeah," I said to Naruto.

"So you're from the Sound Village eh?" he asked me.

"That is right my friend," I responded.

"Hey don't get any funny ideas on messing with us before these exams! I wanna do my best you hear!" Naruto shouted at me from afar as Sasuke broke apart from his grasp. He then just turned away from Naruto.

"I would never mess with ninja in their own village, especially before the exams!" I explained back to him.

He then heard me and nodded, followed with a turned away look at his face just like how Sasuke did, only in the other direction. I could already tell these boys are a handful to whoever sensei Is supposed to be assigned.

"Well then… should we follow the girls to the registration office?" I suggested with my eyes closed and my hand behind my head, followed with a nervous smile.

"Yeah I guess so…" Naruto said while both of him and Sasuke stood facing out from each other.

"Alright c'mon then."

"Wait!" he interrupted me.

"What is it Naruto?" I asked.

"Where is the rest of your squad? Don't you have three shinobi Genin around?"

"Oh yeah, Chijin! He's our third Genin ninja in our squad, our Sound Squad that is," I replied to him. "I'm not sure where he is though…"

"Well if he is around then I want to meet him! Chijin is my next friendly foe," he said to me and made me smile.

(Naruto… it seems like you're just looking for fighting. Don't you see you have to prepare for these exams?) – Sasuke

"Let's get moving," Sasuke added and started walking to where the girls were headed.

"Right!" Naruto followed.

I looked at their backs and could tell that they sure do have a history before I arrived here. It'd be nice to know more about these friends first. Actually it'd be safer if I knew them fully first than to call them friends.

…

(My thoughts are going on and on from the feeling of this place… I can't think of another thing back at the Sound Village, and I'm so concentrated here in the situation. I want to focus on the exams first of all, then I can figure out what this feeling I have, a feeling of suspicion..) – Dana

(This girl… her last name, "Hyuga" is the same as Hinata's. Could they both be from the same clan? How so if Dana is from the Sound Village? I wonder what the Hyuga clan here would say of all this… this girl looks very familiar now that I think about her.) – Sakura

"So where is this place at anyway?" Dana asked as all of us walked near each other to the registration office.

"It's not too far from here don't worry," Sakura replied back to her.

I heard more footsteps from another ninja that was following us, but I didn't want to make a scene and point it out all obvious. Maybe they will be impressed from my hearing skill… maybe they'll think I'm more of a weirdo.

Oh well, here goes nothing!

"There's somebody following us. Over there," I said out loud and pointed the spot where the person was at, and she was hiding behind the corner of a wall out of an alley.

(What a weirdo.) – Sakura

"Ahh!" the girl shouted and hid further into the alley. We stopped to look at her.

"It's just Hinata," Naruto said to us reassuringly.

I felt a little embarrassed, I didn't think it'd be a girl…

"Hey it's only Hinata! Hey Hinata-san!" Naruto called for her.

Then he ran over to where she was, both of them seemed to conversate to each other for a bit. He then came back, I was full of speculation and a little guilt. The rest of us waited until Naruto came back, with the five of us looking at them.

Naruto came back.

"Poor Hinata. She had to go back to her family for something. She could have joined us," he said with a straight face.

"Why didn't she just join us?" Sakura said after, and was then interrupted.

"Alright let's keep on moving then! Come on everyone," Naruto exclaimed to us. I smiled along with Dana next to me and Sasuke. What a group right?

Then we just walked away..

(Why can't I tell him? If I could just get close to him and really explain how I'm feeling.. then maybe he would understand. But I don't know… I don't think anybody will understand. What if he doesn't know about me?

What if he doesn't realize how I really feel? I couldn't let myself realize the truth. I can't convince myself how I really feel… about him… and.. how me makes.. me feel.

Oh Naruto… I need to tell you. But I can't… I'm too afraid..) – Hinata Hyuga

"Was that another ninja you were talking to earlier back there?" I asked Naruto as we all walked more and more.

"That was Hinata Hyuga. She's a Genin like us," Sakura explained. Naruto then looked at the ground, looking gloomy after Sakura said that.

I noticed it…

"We have other ninja around here, it's not just us. You'll see who else there is around here," Sakura said after.

"There must be a Hokage then, right?" Dana added.

"Yes, the third Hokage is here," I then noticed the entrance of the building…

Now it was time. For the six of us just met, and now we're going to make it into the building ready for what lies ahead for the Chunin Exams! Am I really ready? Am I?

After a hustle with some random ninja from another village, and an entrance from a boy named Rock Lee who interrupted the two random ninja's troublemaking, the six of us entered the room where we were stationed to take the exam! I couldn't wait. I was exstatic, excited, full of anxious tingles down my body.

We turned in our registration forms before we entered the room they told us to enter…

There were so many ninja in this giant room! The room was enormous, filled with Shinobi sitting and standing around everywhere around the place! There were even students that looked at us with horrific looks in their eyes and stares. I couldn't believe this.

"Holy crap… there are a lot of ninja here," Naruto said to us as we all were in awe.

…

"Could everyone here be from the same village? What kind of exam are we taking exactly?" Dana asked quickly whilst it got quiet. I looked at her in concern.

"There are ninja from all over the place. I mean from different villages," Shikamaru said to her. "Who are you three anyway?"

We remained quiet for a bit, Chiji smiled and stood next to me and Dana, me in the middle.

"I'm Dana Hyuga, from the Hidden Sound Village," she said in confidence to him. Shikamaru then grinned.

"I," with a grin and a light wave, "am Chijin Sonohoka. Nice to meet you all. Really."

"I'm… Samu Kotonaru. We are Team Sound!" I said with confidence and a thumbs up.

The others looked at us, with all different kinds of reactions and faces.

"Hmph." Sasuke groaned.

Sakura remained quiet.

"You three look more different than we do," Naruto said. That brought Dana and I down, with a sigh and our heads down with shame. Chijin just smiled.

"Well then. Let's not draw too much attention than we already did now," Shikamaru said after. The rest of all these ninja just stood and sat around the huge room with all of us together. There was plenty of space, but it felt weird with all the people ready for the exam.

A voice suddenly came upon.

"Well, well. Looks like the gang's all back together," a boy with another boy and girl stood next to him. The boy that said that had a puppy on his head… why?

"Oh.. Hi Naruto…" the girl next to the puppy-boy said to him.

Naruto noticed her right away and smiled back at her. She then flinched and layed the opposite of a frown. She was also blushing.

"Yup, here we all are. The nine rookies, haha haha, this is going to be fun!" he said then opening his eyes, "at least, for those enough to make the cut." he opens his eyes and looks directly at Sasuke, "right Sasuke?"

"Kiba. Careful you don't get over-confident," he replied back.

"Just wait. We're gonna blow you guys away. We've been training like crazy," Kiba said.

"What do you think we've been doing… sitting around picking daisies? You don't know what training means," Naruto said to Kiba.

Then the softest voice came back.

"Um, don't mind Kiba. I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it.." Hinata said to Naruto, fidgetting her fingers.

"Huh?"

She flinched again to his response and blushed while looking down. I saw it all whenever she spoke to Naruto. I couldn't help but notice..

"Hey Samu, Chijin. Can I talk to you for a minute?" Dana said to us.

We walked away from the others.

"This… is a lot of competition. What do you think?" she said.

"These kids really want to show what they can do. You're right about there being a lot of them.." I replied.

"Yeah no kidding."

"Even if there is a lot of ninja here, we can't let anyone get us scared."

"I see what you're saying. To not be intimidated," Dana replied.

"I just don't want anyone to worry," she said to us again. I nodded and agreed.

"Do you think any of these guys will let me sit next to them? I want to sit down," Chijin added in. randomly adding in things like normally.

"Anyway, they've all sent in skilled ninja to take the Chunin Exams. The competition is going to be difficult.. It has to be," Dana said.

Then another face came up.

"Are you three talking about these ninja all around here? From the other villages?" it was Naruto.

"How'd you sneak up like that?" I asked.

"Nevermind that, what was goin on around the villages?"

"We were just saying that it will probably be pretty difficult at this time. Just that," Dana replied.

"So it would seem.. It's almost enough to make you lose your confidence," Hinata showed up to our group, and stood a little close to Naruto.

"Oh Hinata, c'mon, don't say that. It'll be fine just you see," he reassured her.

Her blushing got the best of her.

The rest of everyone kept talking. I stood next to Chijin and was facing the crowd of all the ninja that were sitting and standing around the room. Nobody seemed to move…

I saw.. Some people from the corner of my eye, that got my attention right away.

There were three of them. A very slouched guy with bandages that covered his head and face, and had a fur coat on his back. He was very slouched.

Then some other guy I couldn't really see. But he had…

Then a female. She had long black hair and kept looking where we were at. Just staring..

Those three stood out. Why? Because they had sound headbands, just like us.

…

"The Genin from the Sound Village will be Chunin, little punk," the voice from the guy with the Sound headband on. We heard him talking to Naruto.

A friend of theirs had vomited because one of the Sound ninjas I saw almost struck him. But I didn't know quite what was going on.

(This is getting dangerous already..) - Sakura

"Hey there, Hinata is it?" Dana asked.

"Oh, um yes?" she replied.

"You.. Look awfully familiar. Sorry if I'm just saying that, but I can't help but notice.."

"Oh…"

(Oh what does she mean? did I do something wrong?) - Hinata

"Your eyes… they have that shape.. Like how mine are. Kind of," Dana said with remark.

"My… eyes?"

"What's your full name-" Dana was interrupted when suddenly..

"Hinata, could you… could I maybe.. Talk to you for a bit? Just really quick I swear," Naruto came in and asked her. Urgently.

She couldn't speak, she just followed him.

(Oh my… what could he want?) - Hinata

They talked for quite a bit. Chijin and I are on guard from anything else that would happen, and I just watched.

(What he's saying… my heart is.. Racing faster and faster. I can't believe what he's saying..) - Hinata

"But that is the way it is. Sorry if I made you feel weird or anything.." Naruto said.

"No, no not at all," Hinata butted in immediately.

He smiled. "I just want you to be okay. From me."

I could tell Hinata was trembling. Her body language said it all.

I don't want to assume or anything… but I think she has something. Something for him.

A large POOF came from the front of the room, and all of us were in the back. We saw it.

"Alright you baby-faced degenerates, pipe down and listen…" a voice came from the front.

Ninja appeared from the smoke, they looked all older and more professional than us for sure.

"It's time to begin. I'm Ibiki Morino, your proctor, and from this moment… your worst enemy."

…

(AHHHHH. HOW DID I GET STUCK TAKING A WRITTEN TEST JUST TO BECOME A CHUNIN?! Why does it have to do with what we were SUPPOSED to have learned… with math..) - Naruto

So our proctor, Ibiki Morino, says that there are parts of this Chunin Exam, that require to take a written portion of it.

We sat in seats all scattered around, but we were next to each other side by side, and I was separated from my squad, and the new friends I made today.

I have a bad feeling about this…


	5. Chunin Exams PART 2

**5: CHUNIN EXAMS: PART 2**

It was horrible… having to wait for that stupid written test to be done with, and I didn't even know hardly any of the answers to the questions!

There were ten questions on a sheet of paper that the proctors gave us, and we had to figure out the physics and velocities of projectiles and motions having to do with ninja moves! What kind of learning is that? I would rather sneak around then plan out a problem with equations..

I waited, agonizingly for them to tell us to stop what we were doing. I couldn't bare it anymore, I knew I was going to fail… if one of us in the squad were to fail, then the other two would fail immediately. That's how the game worked.

I had no hope left. I didn't know any of the questions and had a feeling my other teammates would kill me afterward if I had given up then and there..

But there was a final question: a tenth problem that I didn't know had to do with the test at all. What could It have been?

The proctor's name was Ibiki Morino, and he was very intimidating along with the other teachers. They all had a look on their face which made them suspicious..

"I hope you found your trip to the bathroom enlightening.." Ibiki said to a ninja who came back into the room.

"Well? Take your seat," he said again. After that I had a second to breathe again from the small amounts of stress I've been enduring because of this stupid written test! Why did the Chunin Exams have to be like this? I don't think I'll be able to pass, and let my teammates down…

"These rules are unique to question ten. Now listen carefully and try not to let them frighten you," he was talking about the other proctors around the room, watching our every move. Or was he talking about the rules? I don't even know! I'm terrified!

…

"It's quiet without the rookies around," the Jonin said.

"I'll tell you what, those kids sure have something in them," I said. I needed to make a connection towards the Jonin of this village, to get a better understanding of the Genin that will be taking the Chunin Exam.

"What was your name again sir?" the same Jonin with the mask covering half his face said to me.

"Kenshin Anata. From the Sound Village, sir," I responded.

(It's Kenshin sensei by the way. I'm talking right now.)

"Friendly and good to know your acquaintance Kenshin. Who is your Genin this year?" the other man said.

Three Jonin from the Leaf Village were talking along with me in a room outside the building where the exams were taken. One's name was Kakashi, who had the mask covering his face, Asuma who had a beard and smoking a cigarette, and Kurenai the beautiful woman that sat with us. Talking.

"It is nice to have you around Kenshin. Welcome to the Leaf Village," Asuma said to me, I greeted him a thank you right after.

"I almost miss them," Kakashi said, talking about the Genin.

"Don't worry. Chances are they'll be back sooner than you think," Asuma added.

"Why is that?" Kakashi replied.

"I heard that their first examiner is, Ibiki."

I saw Kakashi widen his right eye a little. He had his mask cover a part of his face that went over his left eye, along with his headband.

"Great. Sticking them with that sadist right off the bat," he sounded sarcastic.

"Huh, what sadist?" Kurenai said suddenly, her voice sounded angelic.

A chuckle occurred from Asuma.

"I forgot you're a new Jonin Kurenai, otherwise you wouldn't have to ask that."

She looked at Asuma's response. Then smiled a bit.

"So I'm ignorant, who is he?" she said.

"He's what you might call… a specialist," Kakashi replied looking at her.

"Oh yeah? In what?" she replied again.

Asuma blew out smoke from his cigarette.

"Interrogation. Torture."

"Of course, not physical torture. He works on people's minds, that's his thing. He's famous for it. You see, this guy Ibiki… he's a master of interrogation because he understands the human mind best. He knows just where to probe to know where your weaknesses. The thing is he's so good at his job he doesn't use physical torture. He just messes up your head so bad, you torture yourself."

"That's just what he does doesn't he.." Kurenai responded looking at him.

"Special Jonin for ya," Kakashi said back.

As I heard their conversation, I noticed how modest and friendly they were to each other. Regardless of the way they talked about that man Ibiki I still realized that they had a bonding relationship with other ninja. Was it because they are all from the same village?

"So the students are in an interrogation room. That's basically what's happening isn't it?" I said to them.

"Basically. But I mean who else would have done it this year? Certainly not one of the other main proctors," Asuma replied.

The small talk was getting me nowhere. I needed to find what was going on between the Jonin in this village, and where to locate the Hokage around here…

All in good time. Time.. That is probably what I'm afraid of in all this.

Time.

…

"The final question!" Ibiki shouted to the rest of us, from when the other proctors pointed most of the students out, they were all disqualified! I sure as heck was scared…

(I sure as heck am scared right now…) - Samu

"Each of you can be given the decision to take the last and final question of the written test… but I if you choose not to, then you will NEVER take the Chunin Exams, EVER again!" he shouted aloud to us.

We all heard it. The attention was no longer on our papers, but towards the guy. I relied on that stupid last question!

"Hey that's bull man! What kind of bogus rule is that?" someone said.

"I am never going to quit! Forget it, I ain't backing down now!" Naruto exclaimed out in front of everyone! I couldn't believe it..

He gave me a little hope that lasted quite a while if you ask me… he gave me hope not to give up, that's what I needed to hear.

"Well I admire your determination, for those of you who are left remaining there's only one thing left to do." he looks at the other proctors and nods at them.

"And that's for me to tell you…"

"That you have all passed the first exam."

…

It happened… I passed? But, it made sense.. But it didn't make sense. But it did..?

I got confused while I was in there, but I sure was glad to hear that I passed along with my friends! I couldn't believe it then and there! Just relief..

Just relief… and Sakura to look at in front of me. Her long and pink hair, made it all the better for me to feel.

After Ibiki said we passed the "first part" of the exam, we had a new proctor that would show us the "second part" of the exam. Good thing the written test wasn't the only thing to become a Chunin. It really would have sucked.

Ibiki said that we were honored to proceed and continue on to the next step, and wished nothing more than to congratulate us for our achievement. But did it really help?

Anko Mirarashi. Who the heck is that?

That's our second proctor's name, and she is quite the loudmouth in front of us. Definitely. Just after we finished the first test we had to move on into the next one, which tested our survival skills. This was it… I think.

"Can you believe this? That entire written exam was just a fake test to show how well we would cheat without getting caught! doesn't that bother you at all?" Dana asked Chjin outside of the building we were in.

"Actually, I thought it was hot in there. That's what bugged me the most. Too many people in there," he replied back. I walked up to them and heard.

Dana looked at him with a failure of admiration. A frown.

"Samu. It's a good thing the three of us made it in one piece. Did you hear what that lady Anko Mirarashi said? About the survival test?" she asked me.

"I remember her saying that alright." I replied.

"Survival… now that sounds serious."

"Yeah, compared to a test we had to cheat with. I still can't believe that I got through it all in one piece."

(And I can't believe Naruto Uzumaki would do that in front of everyone. That really gave me the confidence to stay.) - Samu

"I'm wondering how Kenshin sensei is doing." she said.

"Hey I almost forgot about sensei. You think we can see him before we start again?"

"Maybe. One of the advisors, or Anko Mirarashi could give you that answer. Go ahead and ask."

"Oh Dana. you always have that one thing to say to me, to drive me to my thoughts," I said to her smiling. Then I turned around and ran back into the building we were in.

(Oh please. You're as clueless as Chijin is over here Samu. Get over all that.) - Dana

"I'm one to be clueless," Chijin said out loud in front of her. Quietly though.

She looked at him, freaked out from his response, "Wha- how did you hear my-"

"It happened one time!" Dana said to him again.

Across from them, "That's the Sound Team from the Sound Village alright. What a team of weirdo's really." the boy with his dog said.

"I don't think they're all that weird…" Hinata replied, standing next to him.

"Huh? Oh really? Then how are they? Have you met all of them Hinata?" he said mockingly with a grin.

She just widened her eyes and thought about it.

"Well.. I talked to that girl over there. Her name is Dana. I couldn't catch her last name though.."

"Yeah I see. Well we should catch up with the second proctor lady. She seems kind of annoying if you ask me," the boy left the conversation with Hinata and continued to talk.

All Hinata could do is stand there… thinking and observing Dana. She remembered what Dana had said to her. She almost asked Hinata what her last name was and that their eyes are almost identical.

What Hinata was thinking was too much of a convenience. Could Dana and her really be..?

Do they both have something… in common?

Hinata looked down at where she stood, thinking about what she could say to her acquaintance, but turned around instead. Facing the same position as she was at the ground, she saw two feet, a person standing next to her.

Her head picked up slowly to observe the person..

She could already tell who it was from the clothing and skin color.

She was already blushing with her cheeks and her eyes widened again. Naruto.

"Hinata.." he said to her. Calm.

She nudged back a little, smiling and looking at the ground again.

"I just wanted to say again, thanks for trying to help me through the written test. I thought for sure I would get some answers from you, I just didn't want you to get in trouble ya'know?" he said to her. Her eyes came and locked into his.

It was Naruto..

Naruto smiled at her, and she could notice the sun in the background of her vision, Naruto standing in front of the sunlight. A beautiful sight for her.

"Oh Naruto… it really is no problem at all. I felt relieved and so comforted when you.. Said that you didn't want me to get into trouble back there…"

"Wow. That really did it didn't it?" he smiled at her, in his calm voice again.

"Wha- what?"

"Uhm, I mean, yeah! Haha, I sure didn't need any answers or anything right?" he sounded nervous.

She looked at the ground again and let out a chuckle. A small one.

"But hey. I hope you're feeling fine right now." he said.

Her heart beat twice as fast after that.

(He cares! Oh my, this is the second time he says something like that today!) - Hinata

She really smiled after that. Allowing him to return a smile.

(I… think I should… but maybe I shouldn't, what if she doesn't feel that way too? I don't know what to think really.) - Naruto

(Oh, I hope he feels the way I do…) - Hinata

They just stood there looking at each other.

"Naruto come on, we have to see what proctor Anko has to say," Sakura said to him. Naruto then had to walk away from where Hinata was at, not before he looked at her and let out a smile to her.

Hinata really.. Has something for that boy. All she could do was blush and hold her hands together. She followed right behind him and smiled.

"So.. What about Samu?" Chijin said.

"Wait… he went right now? Isn't the proctor going to speak to us right now?" Dana realized. Then she thought how it wasn't a good idea to let me go and try to see Kenshin sensei by myself.

"That's what I was afraid of," Chijin said with a smile, allowing Dana to get mad at him. A mad face on her.

…

I was already in the building, looking for my sensei, and I was wondering what the others were doing, I lost track so fast.

I entered the room where the written test was, and it was empty. Then headed upstairs again, but only to find that most of the doors were locked. Then that's when I wondered… where would Kenshin be at a time like this?

Where would he really be?

"Ha! I know!" I said aloud, a janitor heard me and looked at me. Just some old guy.

I embarrassingly left the floor I was on and looked outside the nearest window. And there he was! Was he… meditating?

"Kenshin sensei? What are you doing on there?" I asked, he was on a balcony off a window.

He seemed startled, "Oh! Samu it's just you. What are you doing here?" nervous too.

I noticed his hands were behind his back like he was hiding something.

"What are YOU doing here? I asked first."

"Well… thoughts roam around my head too often, I haven't let them sink in for a while. I thought now would be the time," he replied. A drop of a nervous sweat went on his face.

"Oh I see… so you were meditating."

"Something like that sure. Aren't you supposed to be with the second proctor. Along with the other Genin?" he looked at me with suspicion.

Why did he ask that for? Wait a minute…

"Oh my gosh! I need to get there fast!" I suddenly realized! How could Dana convince me to get away so quick?!

"Well off you go then," before I heard him I dashed out of there!

(There he goes again, ha. Wait, isn't that a song?) - Kenshin

I ran as fast as I could, trying to remember how to get out of the building..

"Wait, how do I get out of here!?" I shouted, hoping someone would hear me!

"You go down that hallway son," the old janitor guy said to me. He had a mop this time, mopping.

I looked at him and said, "Thanks old guy!"

"Don't mention it. Ya stupid kid.." I didn't hear him say it. He had an old voice too.

So I'm outside, almost out of breath, and I see everyone huddled in their squads! I get closer. Looking for my Sound Team, but I haven't found them yet. I turn my head back and forth, seeing faces I've seen and others I barely noticed, then I find them! At the back. AGAIN.

"Oh am I glad to find you two!" I said feeling reassured.

"Samu… you missed the entire speech that proctor Anko said.." Dana explained in a sad tone.

"Oh come on… I couldn't have missed too much have I?"

"Well, only the part where we have to fight for our lives. That's all really," Chijin said with no expression.

"Really? Like the survival thing she talked about?" I asked.

"That's right… this time we have these scrolls we have to obtain. Although we start off with one already, we have to fight for the other one. Two in total," Dana explained.

"Oh okay… so where is the first scroll we get?"

"Well we have to turn in our consent forms in first, then we get our scrolls," she replied looking at the ground.

"Consent form? What is that?" I asked.

"It means that if anything happens to us while we're out and about, it won't be on Anko's hands. Basically to make sure that we know that this is life taking," Chijin said randomly.

My heart dropped after that sentence… life taking?

"Of course.. You didn't get one to turn in, so you just have to go in the Forest of Death with us and HOPE you don't die in there," Dana said again.

"Wait what? Forest of Death?"

"You have to go in there and fight with your life dude," she said again.

"But.. You get the scrolls when you turn in your papers right?" I asked.

"Yeah so?"

"So you two haven't turned them in yet, maybe I could still get mine!" I suggested.

"Sorry, already did. We got ourselves an EARTH scroll!" Chijin said happily.

"Oh man…" I said in despair. Along with Dana.

"Just don't die!" our proctor shouted, we heard from all the way back there!

"Listen up all the teams have received their scrolls so everybody go to your gate and wait there!"

I guess this was it… wait what gate?

"We have to go to one of the 44 gates that around the forest, and head on inside once the time is right. I think we're at… the seventeenth gate," Dana explained again to me.

So we headed to our gate and waited… I could see Hinata's group from where we were at, they were sixteen.

"Hey Samu… you should have some confidence at least, we actually get to go against others we haven's seen before. We could use all we've got!" Dana said and cheered me up.

"You're right Dana, Chijin and I will give it all for you as well!" I replied, Chijin grinned and shut his eyes to an agree.

(Of course, ninja we haven't seen… what about those kids from the Sound like us? I definitely haven't seen them in our village before. A question I hope to see an answer from!) - Samu

"Alright everyone, the gates are open, so the second part of the Chunin Exams begin!" Anko shouted, and I knew everyone heard.

(Let's do this!) - Sakura

(Alright here we go!) - Naruto

(..I know I can do this!) - Hinata

(Time to reel in the target..) - ?

(I hope the Jonin around here know what to expect.) - ?

"Time for the Chunin Exams!"

After my shout, the three of us ran right in!


	6. Chunin Exams PART 3

**Chunin Exams PART 3**

The three of us hear a loud scream burst out from the forest, after our dashing moves we headed on into the mysterious forest. The Forest of Death..

"Oh man… that really doesn't sound good right about now," Dana added.

"Come on, we have to keep our cool," I say after her, then scout ahead to see if anyone was watching.

I check around us again..

"Okay, where do you think the enemy will be attacking from if we stop somewhere?" I tell them.

"Well… if we stop to rest for a while, there could be a chance of an aerial attack from the trees surrounding us. By then we might be able to counter the attacks and escape in time.." Dana said worried.

"Anything else?"

"There's also a chance of being attacked from behind. If we stop at a spot and not notice anything, then ninja tools could be thrown at us!" she sounded scared a little..

"Okay then. If anything happens like that, remember: the three of us are one team. We can all fight."

I made sure that I reassured our squad. I needed to be a leader at that time.

That same hour, Chijin and I lay cover behind a bush with the shadows of tree branches sitting still and covering our faces from the sunlight. More screams were heard, allowing the enemy we were spying on escape, which didn't give us a chance to surprise them with blows. This almost gave us the chance to see if they had the scroll we needed: a HEAVEN scroll.

If we get a heaven scroll in less than five days, then we can be able to survive long enough to until the time comes to head to the center of the forest and turn in our scrolls. That's where it ends. Where it should end.. right?

"Okay then, so where do we go?" Chijin asked us, both Dana and I were a little speechless.

A pause occurred.

"Maybe we can-" I was cut off from an explosion that went off near us, fire almost burned a tree's leaves off and a branch fallen right next to me.

"Samu are you alright?" Dana asked with scurry.

"Get back quick!"

The three of us dashed out from another explosion, this time two shinobi came out of the cloud from the explosion, clashing kunei at each other and fighting hand to hand. My expression was a bit speechless as to my other two comrades were.

"Come on then! Stop using your stupid lame fists and fight like a real ninja!" the ninja said to the other.

"What are you saying you fool?" the other replied with an ugly voice.

"Go ahead use your fists… I have a secret jutsu that you don't even know about… get ready for pain, because I win on this one.." the first Genin said to the other, making hand signs and opening his eyes to the last sign…

The ground shook, making leaves and tree branches fall from the top. The second ninja stood scared and aware, but not knowing what to expect.

"Tremble, you lose!"

"No you don't!" the other said, running head on towards the ninja using the jutsu, the ground still shaking before them, and I saw it all…

"Earth Style: Wood Consume!" tree branches and bark came from the roots of the ground and shook the ninja coming at the other, which made him stop to his feet.

He's trembling, not knowing what to expect still. His eyes widened. Roots came out from the ground and contained the boy in a wooden closed cage. He was trapped.

"Now I have got you, ninja from the Grass…" the other said evilly. I felt Dana's look in my peripherals becoming more and more feared..

He reaches out for a paper bomb… and plants it on the cage full of wood. It lights up then.

Dana then almost lets out a scream, but Chijin covered her mouth before she could. The boy that had won that battle smiled and laughed a little whilst he left immediately, before the explosion occurred from the wooden cage. We thought he would still be in there, but there was no trace of anybody in that cage…

The explosion was loud and furious from where we hid. Of course we covered our eyes during the whole thing. Then we just sat behind a bush in cover as the three of us had worried and scared faces. My thoughts were trembling with fear. What in the world is this? Some kind of sick fight to the death?

(I didn't think it would actually mean death… why did a boy have to go out like that? This is so cruel and wrong.. I really am scared of all this..) – Dana

(I can't believe that… what a horrible sight to see. I can't just let that happen… not to my teammates. No. unacceptable.) – Chijin

We sat there for minutes… just looking up at the trees and Chijin looking at the ground as well. I think I almost saw a tear come from Dana's eye back there. This really was scary. I didn't want to face something like that against other ninja. Not now at least…

"We can't hide like this. We should fight," Chijin added randomly while he stood up and we sat.

"But… you saw how gruesome that was. That really was horrible to see someone go like that," I said to him from down there.

"I think now is the time to be brave Samu. We have to do more than just hide for now. Fighting is going to get us to pass. Please believe…" he said back. Looking at the ground.

Then I remembered… he _is_ that kind of guy.

"Then… why don't you come out of there and face me?" a voice said to Chijin, him standing up, making him open to see.

His eyes widened and searched for the voice from behind him. A large opening hole from the ground was there, and Chijin looked for the voice around there.

He seemed really worried, his hair covering his ears and fists clenched.

By then I could tell that he was really worried he had to fight. He waved his hand at us, giving a signal of "wait" or "stand by". That meant he wanted to fight alone.

He was that kind of guy..

"Come out wherever you are…" Chijin said. Kunei came out from above and almost struck him, until he dodged perfectly to the side. Dana and I notice from the bush we sat behind and looking through a small opening. Her eyes widened.

"Well?" he said calling out to the voice again.

"You are a nasty dodger for sure… but can you dodge.. this?" the voice came out again.

A giant fireball the size of a wrecking ball came out from above and Chijin saw and observed. His face in awe. Mouth open… then he dodged!

Dashed quick out of the way, the explosion was enormous, so much that he had to go up on a branch to stand still and be on his toes. Smoke came from around the blast, but soon went out. I was surprised that our bush we hid from didn't catch fire.

"Too late son…" the voice appeared from behind him!

Chijin heard the soft and scary voice, making him tremble with a drop of sweat coming down him as well. He had to think quick or else this was it for him… I couldn't believe this..

Chijin nudged his right elbow on the right side of the enemy's ribs, making him gag. Then did a quick twirl around, and kicked the ninja downward into a fast and paced motion, Chijin landed back on the branch where they were once on.

The ninja he thought taken sudden hits fell to the ground with dirt and smoke that surrounded when he landed. It must have been hard, since it made Dana and I flinch a little.

Chijin still had a serious face upon him, I could see it.

(This guy sure has the stealth. That was too close even for me. I have to be more careful, I know I can.) - Chijin

He landed from the branch and slowly approached the ninja that lied on the ground there. The dirt then slowly went away as Chijin stood victorious.

POOF!

The body of the ninja on the ground went away quickly! It was a clone! Chijin had to react fast, but he heard the voice once again as did we.

"You sure are a good fighter, faster than I thought. Although, I don't think you can dodge this next move of mine," the voice projected to us again.

"How the heck does he say all that so loud? It sounds like he isn't really saying much at all, how do we all hear it?" Dana asked as I heard her. I didn't know the answer to that, but I wanted to know really bad. I didn't want Dana or Chijin to worry as much as I was about now. Something wrong could happen for all we know…

"Why doesn't he show himself?" she asked again.

"I do not know Dana. but whatever happens, we have to step in to help Chijin if anything really bad goes on. This time, we'll be more than help," I replied. She nodded after.

"Get ready again!" the voice said loudly!

Chijin got ready with his fists. A swipe of dirt came from the ground and dirt got in his face, it happened so fast that neither of us could have seen it coming. He quickly rubbed his eyes, then a figure appeared before his very face.

The ninja struck with his left leg and Chijin blocked with his right arm. After a sudden moment Chijin studied the enemy's body, and developed a counter maneuver. All in one stance.

First he swiped away the opponent's leg and punched him with Chijin's right fist on the shoulder, along with his other fist to go on the other shoulder. The ninja then showed and ache of hurt upon his shoulders, aching and groaning so much.

"That.. Was a good counter-attack boy, you sure know how to do that.." he coughed a little.

He only looked at his opponent. Quiet as ever.

"Still, that doesn't mean I'll lose to you! Kunei dash!" the ninja threw the knifes at him.

Chijin saw the two knifes coming at him, then reacted with dodging both, the ninja then lunged at him. He let out a scream before he kicked Chijin's block again, but his reaction time slowed.

Chijin was blocking every strike from the ninja, but losing agility as time passed. A counter-attack occurred from my comrade with a kick to the stomach, staggering the ninja with a large groan. He went on his knees to cough a little of blood from the kick.

"I'm not going to lose to you… not now," the dark and ugly voice said. Chijin didn't know what to expect from then.

Kunei suddenly came running down from the trees and headed for Chijin!

(More knives?) - Chijin

He rolled out of the way just in time as they hit the ground. Dirt rattled a little after that.

I didn't know if Chijin noticed, but I saw two other ninja coming in to save Chijin's opponent, as did Dana. I wanted to do something but… I just..

They dashed out of there quickly. When Chijin picked his head back up, he saw no opponent anymore. That fight was over. He stood up and closed his eyes, then taking a deep breath. Must have let out steam.

"Chijin!" Dana came out of the bushes and hugged him, I followed her.

"Are you alright? Are you hurting anywhere?" I asked with huge concern.

"No… I'm alright thanks," he replied with a little grin.

"You.. Sure did a number on that guy," I said back to him.

"I needed to fight, even If he hadn't had escaped, maybe they had the scroll we needed."

"Even so, you won that one! You survived!" Dana sounded happy that he made it out of that one for sure.

"You sure know how to counter those moves," I said again.

"If he hadn't had escaped.. We would have been closer.." he said.

"Yes but it's okay! You're alive!" Dana said.

"And we only watched you fight.. So miraculously.." I said.

"I wouldn't have let him get away. No I wouldn't," he had a serious tone with a serious face, as he looked at Dana.

"It's okay Chijin.. It's okay," Dana replied, I then wiped my nose and mouth from the sweat of the outside. Even though we were in the shade the whole time I still sweated from that fight, plus it was hot!

It's only the first day and already there's an attack on one of our teammates. This, I know will be tough. I know this for sure.

…

After that day we were lucky enough to find a small area that was surrounded with large bushes, and that made us a little comfortable with a place to sleep. At least for one day. We tried to remember where exactly this spot was, so that we could come back here to sleep for another day or two. Five days to be in this forest… this forest of death..?

"Eat only a little bit. The less we consume, the more we can save for later on in the days. Be careful you two," Dana said to us as we ate our rice balls.

I had plenty of them for me to have for five days, but I was just hungry. I can imagine how hungry Chijin would be after a day of a fight..

"Are you really hungry Chijin? I mean you did have a fight yesterday," I said to him.

"No not really. I'm actually not hungry right now, just a little tired. Thanks though," he said smiling. Then he turned away and yawned. I cant believe that he wouldn't be hungry after a day of that. I guess so.

"Going outside of this bush hole is kind of risky. What do you two think?" Dana said.

"I think we can afford to leave a mark around here to remember where this spot is exactly. Although other ninja could see our mark as well…" I added.

"Yeah see I was afraid of that. What do we do?" she said again.

I thought long… "Well how could you miss it? It's just a bushy little place, nothing too noticeable really."

"Maybe we could wait it out a while and rest more until the last minute, then look for the scroll we need. How does that sound?" Dana added. I thought it was a good idea. Gives us time to rest.

"You're right I think it'll be good for Chijin and us too."

"I'm good with whatever you two wanna do," he added smiling again.

"Well then, we could lay back down and go back to sleep if you want. I know I should really use my Byakugan to search for any intruders around here," Dana said, so willingly.

"Smart of you really Dana." I smiled. The both of us lied back down and took breaths as Dana sat up and activated her power.

(Byakugan!) - Dana

Her eyes became more focused and veins appeared next to them. I could almost see her pupil if I look really closely. There we were. Dana was our scout and Chijin and I rested. The three of us are good fighters. We need to be on our toes if we aim to fight and keep up with the days and nights. I saw and learned it the hard way.

…

Night time approached. Barely on the second day. Man did I want it to end already! Thoughts kept coming into my head of an attack of some sort after Dana said she'd be back in a bit to gather some berries she smelt from here. I know it's wrong to have a bad gut feeling, but I just felt like the urgency of awakened and almost startled. It was probably from what we saw yesterday. That poor ninja boy…

A twig suddenly snapped along with leaves rustling against each other from afar. I heard it.

"Chijin I think we're being watched!" I whispered to him in a quiet tone. He got up and saw the direction I was looking at.

"Whoever it is, let's hope it's not an enemy from before. I hope it's Dana now," he added.

"I'm going to check around, quietly though," I said to him. He knew it was a risky move but he trusted me. He knew how my stealth was and my quiet feet.

Slowly I stepped out of the circle of bushes where our camp was, and went around from where the noise was making. I saw my target. I knew he didn't notice me, but I saw the figure of him, looking at our camp direction. It was my time to stop this guy. I lean on in closer and closer… closer and closer.

More and more closer… then I suddenly leaped from above and was going to land on him for a surprise! This was it!

As I came closer I saw the bushes move and there was… a butt? What the? Bending over?

"Derp!-" her voice let out, she turned around quickly and saw me coming at her. I noticed it was Dana when the bushes moved and she had turned around. Oh man… why me?

I landed on her and seemed to have dropped whatever she was picking up from the ground. I am now… on top of her with my hands pushing against her arms, pinning her to the ground. I THOUGHT IT WAS A SPY OR SOMETHING! I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS HER!

"Samu! Seriously why now?" she said aloud. Blushing as I was still on her.

"Oh Dana I'm so sorry I thought you were somebody else I swear please don't hit me I promise not to do it again SPARE ME!" I took a breath and a nervous cry after that.

She sighed. "Well it isn't your fault of course. But that doesn't mean you can just lay on me like this. EVER." still blushing. Now it's both of us.

"Oh I promise it wont ever happen again," I had a nervous smile after I said that. Then I see her staring at me with a mad look. A mean look actually. Then I notice I'm still on top of her pinning her down. Her arms and legs open.

"Ahh! Sorry Dana!" I quickly jumped off her and stood at a flinching position, still scared! wasn't my fault!

She gets up and says, "Oh now look, some of the berries I found are all dirty," she sighs. "I guess it's okay since it was an accident…" she says that last part with her _TONE OF VOICE _technique…

"Yeah it was an accident of course…" I let out a guilty face.

(Gosh I'm glad it was an accident… I don't know what I'd do if I even-) - Samu

Then I see her going to Chijin. From behind. The first thing I see is the way her butt is moving as she walks… what? Wait…

(HOW COULD I HAVE BARELY NOTICED "THAT" UNTIL JUST NOW?!) - Samu

My face was in awe! A jaw dropper! Her butt!

Sigh, "Oh what's wrong with me..?" I say to myself.

"What was that?" she asks from there.

"Oh nothing!" nervous laugh strikes again for me.

"Did you see any of that Chijin?" Dana asks him.

"I heard the whole thing," he smiles.

Dana has a nervous face now:

(Oh please give me a break… for once I'd like to speak to a person that isn't a jerk so much of the time… these boys are going to kill me.) - Dana

Then it was nighttime. Right after my embarrassing moment occurred.

"It's already the end of the second day. I wonder what else lies ahead for us. I keep wondering sorry," I said to my teammates.

"At least we haven't lost our camping spot. Without this then maybe we'd be out somewhere on hard rocks," Dana added.

"Think about it… if we get another scroll and we all make it out alive, then we could get into the next step of becoming Chunin.."

"Isn't that something.. Really I can't believe Kenshin sensei would let us take these exams. He actually believes we're ready. And look at us, just staring into the stars. It's so beautiful isn't it Samu?"

"It sure is. Why don't we get to see any of these stars back at the Sound Village?" I ask.

"Oh forget about the Sound Village for once. This place really feels different… I mean I've only been here once and all these things have happened. I've got so much to ask…" Dana keeps staring out into the stars.

"What?" I ask.

"Yeah… isn't it beautiful Chijin?" she turns over her head to look at him lying and asleep. Such a quiet snore. Sleeping on his side again.

"Well, at least you and I get to enjoy the night together Dana." I add.

"Yeah, it's a good thing we're together as friends.." she responded. There was a sudden pause, but it wasn't too long until..

"AHHH!" a voice crackled from afar, making the two of us get up and notice it immediately. Someone led right into danger perhaps.

"You got to remember, this place isn't all safe you know…" Dana said a little worried.

"Yeah. It isn't.." I said back. She then gave me a soft hug and I held her hand for a moment. Then I pick my head up and notice the stars gleaming along with a leaf falling from a tree we were near. One sudden leaf. It then fell upon Dana's head, which I noticed she was sound asleep. It sure was quiet, until that one scream we heard.

"..What?" Chijin woke up and broke the moment by sitting up and had a little drool on him.


	7. Chunin Exams PART 4

**THE CHUNIN EXAMS: PART 4**

I saw the sun shine over my closed eyes as I lied on the soft grass. Small breezy wind blew too along with the grass brushing against my arms as it did. I slowly opened my eyes and felt the sun and noticed it being covered from leaves of trees. How peaceful it was to just lay there and let my thoughts pass on…

A loud scream was let out from afar, which made me arise from my position. The shrubs around us still intact. Dana got up as well, rubbing her eyes from the sleep we endured. Who would have thought it would be that easy to sleep whilst ninja from all areas could show up and kill you. Lucky us. Then I realized it was the fourth day already. One more until we had to go.

Dana yawned and remained silent as we both hear continuing screaming that was away from us. This Forest of Death place sure is scary even when you hear others in demise… I started to get that itchy feeling of being worried again.

"More screams. At least we had a good sleep through the night," she spoke out. Chijin still lied asleep, she looked at him. "Do you think he'll be asleep any longer?"

"No I don't think so. He'll get up don't worry," I said to her. I stood up and took a deep breath. I fiddled my hair and put my headband back on that was in the pouch on my right leg. I looked back at Dana, she's still sitting on her little spot.

She chuckles, "Your hair is messed up. Real good," she smiles.

"Your hair is always intact Dana." I smile back at her.

"Oh please, I hardly ever do anything to it. I know someone I've just met that looks better than me, really.." she added still smiling.

"I could say I haven't met anyone yet that is, really," I replied. I played her little game.

"Oh yeah? I saw you keep an eye on that Sakura girl, definitely. You know you did."

"I was just suspicious really. Nothing going on there!"

"Sure, I believe you," no she didn't. I just thought that Sakura was a pretty girl is all. Dana is… far more than that..

Chijin got up and yawned. Still has his headband off. He messed with his hair as well and stretched.

"Well look who's up. We were just about to talk about you, having beautiful hair just like some people we know," Dana joked. All Chijin did was lay a grin and looked at the ground, closing his eyes. His black eyes.

After we had eaten our rations, we decided to leave our camp site and head off into the forest to look for opponents we can take a scroll from. We needed a particular HEAVEN scroll, just what Anko said.

Then before we headed off and left our site there was rustling among trees up ahead, that lead to knocking one down from afar. Looked like some commotion was happening..

"Remember, we can try to come back to this spot if we find it. But we need to get that other scroll. We desperately need it by today. Let's try and get it by today!" Dana ordered. She built that little jolt in me to do good.

Boy did she do it…

Our feet landed on branches and dashed more and more as we moved forward from branch to branch and tree to tree. The three of us kept close together and stayed at the same pace as each other.

Chijin stopped us from moving anymore as he yelled to halt. We all were on a different branch of trees, but kept close together. What did he see?

"What is it?" I asked. He waved his hand again, sign for a "halt".

Then he pointed down and I followed his pointed finger to a spot where three ninja were. I recognized them immediately… it was them.. The ninja from the Sound Village, just like us.

I didn't know if Dana realized it as much as I did, and I hoped Chijin figured it out as well. I kept it to myself though. I turned my head to look at Dana's headband on her arm, it was wrapped around her left arm. My headband was on my forehead. Chijin has his in his backpack, I'm pretty sure, but he never wears it. I never see him do.

"What do we do?" I asked them.

"It would be risky to attack them, maybe they don't have the scroll we need.." Dana added.

"We've got to try. We can do this. As a team," I said back to her. "Use your Byakugan Dana, and see their chakra flow."

"Good Idea," she did a little hand sign… "Byakugan!"

We waited for her to say something.

"They have chakra flowing through them, so it is the real deal. It's them," she said to us.

"Okay, I say we go in and one of us sneak in for a surprise attack from around. I volunteer, agree?" I added.

Both of them looked at me and nodded their heads. I was ready for this…

"Okay then, be careful you two."

Both of them went around from the right side, tree to tree. I then lowered myself down from branch to branch, to get a closer look on them. I made sure I didn't make any noise while doing this. If anything, they will go in and attack first, while I sneak up from behind and get them. For sure it would work. I was sure of it!

I got to a position where I was on the ground level as them, and crouched behind a tall tree that stood up so high that it covered the sun basically. I hid behind the shadow from it and took it to my advantage.

"So we need to find the one… is that right?" one of them said.

"You bet. Remember what our master said. Keep it to yourself and just get one of their scrolls! It'll be easy I'll promise you that!" the other boy said in a cocky way.

"Don't rush things first of all." the girl with them said.

Then I waited.

And waited. And stared at them.

Waited some more… and some more.

Until finally.

Shuriken came from the side of bushes and a single kunei came down from above, aimed and going at a high speed to the three Sound ninja that I was creeping on.

I saw a shuriken hit one of the boy's knee, and it made him scream, while the kunei that aimed for the girl was dodged. That was their signal. Chijin and Dana were about to attack.

Chijin came from ahead of them and immediately went for one of the boys, the one that was slouched and had that coat.

He struck first with a right hook to him, but the slouched boy blocked with his left arm. Chijin then did an immediate uppercut to him! The boy went up in the air after a loud grunting sound! That's when Dana stepped in. she came from a tree branch and made eye contact with him in the air, the look in his eye was scared to death.

"You!" the other Sound boy yelled to Chijin, and went for him.

He swept under his legs but Chijin jumped. Kunei then went for him! Chijin noticed, it must have been from the girl! He had to think fast again! What he did was amazing…

Whilst in the air, Chijin noticed the knives coming at him, so he quickly did a duck by spinning to the right side of him and easily dodged the kunei that aimed for him. Fortunately they missed him but it made him stagger and bump his head on the bark of a tree near next to him.

"Ha! You'll pay for my friend's injuries!" the Sound boy said to him, and ran towards Chijin!

Dana is in the air and has eye contact with the slouched guy, and she raised her right leg and focused her Byakugan… she kicked in a swiping motion to the boy's stomach, making him charge down to the ground. The kick was brutal!

The slouched boy did a large grunt and fell to the ground with dust to surround it.

One.. Two… where's the third one? Oh no! the girl! Where is she?

(Oh man where is she? She must have escaped with the scroll… or worse..?) - Samu

"Gone for a sneak attack!" I said aloud, I finally noticed!

"Get ready you!" the boy charged for Chijin.

Chijin readied his arms. He seemed dizzy at that time.

(Oh no… my head is spinning like crazy.. Got to focus..!) - Chijin

The boy starts punching him left and right, eventually Chijin pushed away the guy and had a little moment to turn back and get on his knees to rub his head a little from the hurt he felt. That didn't stop the other guy though..

"A lousy push? That won't stop mee!" he charged at him once more. I wondered if Chijin would do his move right about now.

Chijin smiled while his hand was on his forehead from his headache. He patted both hands on the ground and said aloud, "Sound Technique: Anti Push!"

With the boy right about to punch him, Chijin raised his two legs, like he almost did a handstand. His legs raised up and does a kick with both to the boy's chest, making him fly backward and hitting a tree. Chijin dashed into the bushes.

Dana was on a tree branch to see it all. I saw her from up there, crouched. With a smile.

"You… three punks.. I saw you three…" he did a cough, "…back there in the building. I can't wait to get my hands on you three. Come down here to fight girl!" the slouched boy said, he took off his coat finally. His back was…

I needed to come out already… but I felt like I needed to wait for an opening on them, I was tired of waiting here though!

"My name is Dosu… and I won't let my team get destroyed by you three! Whoever you are.." he said again. So his name is Dosu…

Why haven't I ever seen him before? It's so mysterious to find out that this guy and I are from the same village… yet I don't even know them.

Dana landed on her feet, meters away from him.

(Dosu huh..? Looks like you and I are going to fight now.

Wait! That headband! It looks like a… Sound Village type! What? But Kenshin sensei… said that..) - Dana

"Well then, you're about here finally. You'd better get ready to fight girl. Because I am MAD!" Dosu exclaimed to her. I heard it all..

Out from the bushes from the opposite side from me was that girl with the straight black hair. Part of their squad. She came out just in time…

"Zaku seems unconscious Kin. You'll have to help me on this one," Dosu said to the girl. Her name is Kin… she nodded after that.

Now was the time to step in.

(what do I do? A sneak attack would be best! But I don't want Dana to get hurt! Oh but I have to do something quickly. Now is the time to act!) - Samu

My thoughts were roaming around on picking what to do! I had a choice. I chose carefully, I made sure of that. Either thing I did it would make a difference. I made sure of it too. It can't be just for me to try: it's got to be all my effort!

A fatal blow was the choice!

I used my stealth to go in as quick as I could but without making any sound from my hands or feet whatsoever. I knew I could do it. It was something I knew I had it in me. Making no sound around them. Going from behind and making the move.

"You two must be from the Sound Village.." Dana said to them. They heard and thought about that saying. Dosu looked at Dana's headband wrapped on her left arm on her shirt. She made sure it was tightened even more since she's in battle.

(Well well well… from the Sound Village yes? Just like us three. I wonder what scroll they have. That doesn't matter, they almost killed us. Now they will suffer for sure!) - Dosu

"I can't believe this… you too are from our village? That makes it even worse!" the girl Kin said to her, Dana had her Byakugan technique enabled so she could see their chakra in affect.

Kin threw what looked like kunei but was too thin to be it. It looked like she threw something but I couldn't see it from behind them in the bushes.

Dana dodged whatever she threw and Kin went after her dashing to her. Dana had a fighting stance ready for her. All was going to be okay. I knew it…

(Got to keep focus on my Gentle Step…) - Dana

"Gentle Step fighting stance!" Dana said, while Kin layed out kicks and punches, Dana blocked them and didn't have a chance to strike back. That made Dana dash backward feet away to get ready to attack first.

"Oh you!" Kin readied her sticks but Dana was ready to fight again…

"Gentle Step!" Dana exclaimed and ran towards Kin.

With Dana's Byakugan, she could see a ninja's Chakra points located all over the person's body, and those Chakra points distribute the energy towards the users body. That was her target. To eliminate those points and stop the flow of Chakra to the opponent. She had to give it her all if she wanted to win this fight…

With her Gentle Step in affect that allowed her to get struck multiple times around Kin's body. Kin groaned and managed to still have time to back away from her hits. I knew she took hits although.

(At least I got her a few times on the torso area. That doesn't mean I'm done though!) - Dana

"Ouch… that actually hurt. But that doesn't matter, I'll still get you girl.." Kin said, feeling the hits to becoming slowly numb. She reached from her pouch again on her arm and pulled out those little needles she thrown earlier and threw some more at Dana. An easy dodge for her. Then they clashed again and again.

"Whoever these Sound ninja are, they do have formidable fighting skills. Although there is only two I have seen so far. There should be another one," he coughed after saying that, still from the hits from Dana and Chijin.

"Well that makes me the third one then!" I exclaimed to him, from behind him I could tell his head tried to turn to face me, but It was too late for my Sound Strike attack. My Chakra was up and ready to go in my fist, the Sound Strike technique was my best one out of all my stealth moves. Here it was in action!

(This has to be the end of me now…) - Dosu

I punched him in the back so hard he screamed from the pain in his back! I had an angry and explosive expression on my face and the way I was standing on my battle stance. It was my time to show what I can do!

He staggered after I punched him and I reeled my arm back away from his body, and he walked a couple of steps, before almost falling to the ground. I could feel the smile and satisfaction in my hit. He almost fell.

The other boy in their squad came in my vision in front of me and caught Dosu from falling! He's crouched and looking at me whilst holding him.

"Oh you three will pay for this, just wait…" he gave me an ugly look in both his eyes. I got a look at his headband on his forehead one last time.. Before he took away his friend away and dashed into the forest. I had to let them go. Then I saw Dana staring at Kin.

"You know how to fight girl…" Kin said to her.

"Only from the Sound Village," Dana said back to her, grinning.

Kin looked around for her teammates and noticed they've left.

(Looks like I got to go now..) - Kin

She turned to her side and was almost about to dash out of the scene…

"Oh no you don't!" Dana yelled to her, throwing a kunei knife directly at her face, except it missed just by a little bit and hit a tree, making Kin flinch and widen her eyes. I could even see from here how a little sweat was on her. Definitely..

"You're not escaping. I'm going to finish the fight…" Dana said to her.

"Wow… you're really making this worse.. At least for you!" she pulled out a small flute from her pouch on the back of her waist.

She played a little tune from it, at first it sounded pretty. Then I remembered to cover my ears quickly! I had to close them shut fast! I just realized it…

"Dana shut your ears now!" I yelled to her meters away from her. I hoped she heard me..

(Oh no he's right!) - Dana

She closed her ears and only let one eye open to keep in vision of her opponent. She looked a little frustrated. I'm glad I only heard a little bit of the music she played from the flute.

Kin jumped in the air and layed a kick towards Dana. She noticed fast and dropped her jaw to Kin that was in the air. Quickly she dodged backward and still kept her ears shut with her hands and left one eye open. Her Byakugan still active. Dana looked worried with a little sweat.

Kin dashed towards her still playing the flute! Then at the last second she pulled the flute away from her mouth and aimed for Dana's stomach for a blow. Dana didn't have time to react enough, her hands were covering her ears! She had to do something now…

Dana thwacked Kin's strike away the other direction with Dana's left arm, and that made Dana spin around. Allowing an opening for her.

Perfect.

"Gentle Step!" Dana went for it again!

She aimed for those Chakra points again this time: on Kin's backside. It was kind of unusual but boy did it work…

Using her palms and fingertips to hit the Chakra points on Kin's back, so much that it made Kin walk backward in pain with her eyes shut as she took the hits. Dana's Byakugan was noticeable from her eyes.

I ran towards them with a grin. I knew that fight was over.

Kin stayed still with her eyes still shut, and then fell, hitting the ground with her body. Dana wins.

She breathed from her nose heavily. She didn't seem that tired I guess.

"You did it!" I said to her. I was too excited.

A white looking scroll came out from Kin's waist along with small needles that fell out. I couldn't believe it. A HEAVEN scroll! Just what we needed!

"There it is Samu.." Dana said to me with a small smile. We both stared at the scroll, although I think she was looking at Kin. Just lying there with her face on the ground.

"Wow… a Heaven scroll. It's what we need!" I said back to her.

"Well, go on, take it," she said quietly to me.

I thought about it for a moment..

"No Dana, I think you should. It was your win," I smiled at her.

She just looked at me. I could tell she admired it from her small smile at it. She went over there and picked it up. Then she tossed it to me and I caught it.

"Yeah I guess I did! You hold onto it though."

"Alright! A heaven scroll!" I sure did sound excited!

…

I sure was excited.

(What a fight.. Just one more day and we get to get out of here and head to the center of the forest to advance!) - Dana

(We encountered those Sound ninja finally. I can't believe it, Sound against Sound. How odd if you ask me. What made it weirder was that I didn't even see them from before! I didn't get it..) - Samu

(Boy am I tired. I wonder if they got other scroll we needed yet.) - Chijin

"Hey Dana… did you notice those two Sound ninja before? Like have you seen them before we even got here?" I asked her as we sat on the grass.

"No I didn't even know other Sound Genin came in other than us. It's odd…" she replied.

So she didn't know either. Humph..

"Well I thought it was ironic, fighting Sound ninja against our own. There must have been other ninja fighting against their own village Genin as well. We must not be the only ones."

"You're right."

There were two large boulders that had trees around it. The boulders were big enough to give shade and hide under. Well, it was night time already, and I could guess that the other two were tired already. I thought it'd be time for sleep already.

"I'm hungry," Chijin said randomly.

What a way to break the moment…

"You can have my rice ball," I gave it to him from my backpack. After he had eaten it he had his eyes squinting like he was sleepy. We had another camping spot.

Another spot for resting.

…

We dashed from branch to branch! It was time! Time to return the two scrolls that were in my backpack in and advance to the next part of the Chunin Exams! This was it! That work back in the Forest of Death is over!

We barged in from the front doors and went inside the large building. We entered a hallway and it led to another door ahead. I looked at my two teammates and nodded with them.

Dana opened the door and we entered. There was a large poster that had writing on it, and it said to open our original scroll we had first.. Really?

"Do you read that?" I ask them.

They nodded.

"I guess we have to open our Earth scroll."

"I hope nothing wrong goes on," Dana said looking at me take it out from my backpack. I had a little drop of sweat on my face.

I held it in my hands. I reached for the little flap to open it. I took a little breath, and I opened it slowly. Then I threw it on the ground!

Smoke started forming around it and came from it, so we stood back. It looked like something was being summoned!

We watched, and a POOF came out from it. Out from it was… Kenshin sensei! It was our trainer!

"Kenshin sensei! It's you!" I said to him. Excitedly I said it!

"Oh it's you sensei," Dana said in relief.

"What were you going to say to us? What are you here for?"

"Hi you three. I'm here to tell you that you passed the second part of the Chunin Exams. Congratulations!" he said happily.

"Alright we did it! Thank you sir!" I exclaimed to him, with my butt hitting the floor. Boy am I glad to feel a wooden floor instead of ugly dirt.

"What a relief!" Dana seemed happy with a smile!

Chijin smiled with his eyes closed in a happy manner.

"Now the three of you had a purpose. To make it through a mission without looking in those scrolls. Good thing you didn't, otherwise I would have had to come out like just now, and knock you three out. But here you are!" he said happily again.

Woah. I sure as heck didn't know that..

Dana and I had surprised faces looking at our sensei.

"Also, the Heaven scroll represented your spirit, making how well your will power is and what you can do with your mind in and out of battle. The Earth scroll was your raw physical power. Showing how and when the time was right to attack and defend. Just like how I'd hope you three used."

That is so great to hear. I knew in my thoughts that the three of us used both those elements. That made me smile.

"Now that you three are sitting and have rested for a bit, it's time for the third part of the exam. It's been a long time since this has happened here, so be good you three," he said to us again after his little speech. I wondered "What?"

I guess another part of the exam awaited us. Chijin and I had scratches and bruises all over us, Dana over here didn't have anything on her. Even when we slept on the ground all those days.

She had her eyes closed and looking at the floor. She must be thinking how the next part of the exam will be.

Chijin stayed looking at our sensei. I don't know what he was thinking, but It looked like he was.

Then I thought how tough it'll be this time.

I only thought again and again.

We were then lead to a big arena-like area that had a big flooring space. The proctors we saw from before were all in front of the big statue that resembled two palms together, like it's about to use a jutsu.

All the Genin that made it to the 3rd part were lined up in four rows of five. Making twenty of us, but there was another one of us, making it twenty one.

"First of all congratulations on finishing the second exam," Anko exclaimed to us. She had a microphone headpiece on.

After that there was a pause. Then other kids started talking.

That really brought up conversation. I saw Naruto Uzumaki and the other two of his squad. Including Sakura. That girl with the pink hair! She looked dirtied out, but I'm glad she made it through here, definitely! I'm happy for Naruto as well.

(It's good to see the new friends we made. Along with others I haven't seen.

Oh there's Hinata! Glad she made it..) - Dana

"Boy am I hungry," one kid said like he was dying.

"Man this is a drag, there's so many left.. This is such a pain," Shikamaru said next to that boy.

"Oh, Sasuke and his squad made it too," she sounded happy, whoever she was.

"Well of course they did. After all the trouble we did to get them through, they better have passed," Shikamaru replied to her. She must have been in his squad. What did he mean by that?

They were talking about Naruto's squad. Why? And Sasuke too..

(As expected, all the best are here. Sasuke Uchiha huh?) - ?

(I can't believe it, only seven teams out of twenty seven are left.) - ?

(Those Sand Village ninja…) - Kiba

(Naruto passed too! Thank goodness..) - Hinata

"Hey look all of the Leaf rookies are here too," Sakura said.

"Woah everybody's here: old man Hokage, Iruka sensei and even Bushy Brow. It looks like nobody got left out this time," Naruto replied, sounded excited.

"I don't have a very good feeling about this.." Sasuke said out loud.

"Lord Hokage is now going to explain a few things as part of the third part of the exams, you maggots," she exclaimed to us. Then turned to the Hokage, the leader of the Leaf Village..

He cleared his throat before he started, "There is a true reason for making these exams and participating. Not only to balance out the fighting abilities of each Village, but they representation of battle between the allied nations. All the countries we are allied with, were once fought each other. It's to show the pride of their nation as ninja.."

"Pride of their nation..?" Sakura said.

"Now listen closely: I'm going to tell you everything that will happen for the next exam," he cleared his throat, but not until a Jonin dashed kneeling before him.

"Lord Hokage before you do, please allow me, Hayate Gekkou appointed as proctor of this exam to speak first," he said kneeling with respect. That concerned me..

"So be it.." Hokage answered back.

He stood up, "It's nice to meet you all." he gave us his backside. "There's something I'd like for you to do, before this third exam.." his cough was unbearable to hear, it sounded like his coughing was tearing through his throat and voice..

I seemed a little disturbed by it..

"Uhh… we have to have a preliminary round before we start the real one."

I heard it and started a little confused..?

(What does that mean?) - Samu

"Uhh, well you see we never thought the second exam would be so easy, the fact is we never think so many of you'd still be here. According to the exams, a preliminary round can be held anytime between them, to shorten the amount of contestants for the final."

I couldn't believe this…

"Only the best.. So if there's any of you who feel like they can't make it, or anyone who doesn't feel like they're in top physical condition, now's your chance to," before he finished he let out a gross cough again..

(That proctor doesn't look so good himself…) - Hinata

".. Sorry about that. As I was saying, anyone can quit right now if they feel not ready… the preliminaries will begin immediately."

"You mean right now?" Kiba said aloud.

"But some of us aren't.." someone said.

"Oh yeah… the round will be a sudden death in one on one combat. So like I said, if anyone doesn't feel up to it now's the time to raise your hand."

There was a sudden pause.. Everything seemed quiet for a minute… maybe longer for me. I zoned out completely.. Just thinking how this will be like…

"Okay, you got me, I'm out," a boy raised his hand and said.

"Kabuto Yakushi of the Leaf right? Okay you can go on and step back.." the proctor said looking at his clipboard.

He said a couple of things later, and then had to leave. He said he couldn't do it because of all the fighting and no break. Seemed weird..

Anyway, I needed to find out what would happen next.

I think I'm about ready! And so is my team! With whatever it takes with one on one, then I am good to go! I know I can do this!


	8. Chunin Exams PART 5

**CHUNIN EXAMS: PART 5**

"Byakugan!" Dana shouted as she charged to Shikamaru. His arms and face got sweaty after he heard her. That didn't stop Dana from going in to attack.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu!" Shikamaru shouted as well, displaying his hand sign and making his shadow stretch forward to where Dana was running. She noticed it and began to dash to the side, but still going for him.

The shadow jutsu followed her a little bit and didn't stop until finally… Dana did a 'Gentle Step' maneuver on him! She got close enough to strike him with her palm on his chest. Shikamaru flew back and hit the wall making him lose his jutsu. After a few breaths, he stood standing while looking at Dana. He could barely speak..

"Okay… that hurt a lot.." he said while taking breaths in between. He took a little more steps forward and was stopped by the proctor's shout.

"The match is over. Shikamaru of the Leaf Village has lost. Dana Hyuga is the winner," he stopped the fight between them and made both their faces become shocked.

Dana lowered her arms and looked at both her opponent and the proctor, back and forth.

(I… I did it. I made it through, it only took a few moments but I made it through!) - Dana

(Wow. I guess that's it. I need to get some rest fast.. I'm hurt bad.) - Shikamaru

(Intriguing… her techniques, and the stance used. Most impressive. She even revealed her Byakugan. This raises all sorts of confusion. If Hinata were here to see this…

I can only wonder what kind of branch this girl comes from. Dana Hyuga… why are you from another village, eh girl?) - Neji Hyuga

"Way to go Dana! you did it!" I shouted at her from atop of a balcony near some other Genin. Chijin and I saw all of Dana's fight. Boy was it exciting!

She looked up at me and smiled, not a scratch on her still. I had a feeling in my heart and mind that she would pull through. She is something else..

She came up to the balcony and greeted us, "Well there it was! Thank both of you for support," she said to us, Chijin and I smiled at her. The excitement got to us. At least for me it did.

"Now the next fight," he coughs, "is going to be.." he looks at his clipboard for a moment. "Samu Kotonaru against.. Uhh, Shino Aburame."

My heart skipped a beat as my smile went away as I heard him say my name… out loud so everyone can hear… everyone heard my name was called next.

Oh, what could I possibly expect from an opponent I have never seen before..? That's why my smile went away so fast. I knew at an instant: that I didn't know my opponent's jutsu or attacks. I was scared.

…

"Samu, I know you can do this. Believe in yourself and you can win this fight! I know you Samu, I know you as a partner and teammate, but more importantly: as a friend.." Dana said to me quietly. I heard her and smiled at her kindness. The kind of nice, that I haven't had in a while. Not since my brother and I… had been together. I love you brother.

I walked down the stairs to head onto the battle area to face my opponent. I had a feeling this was going to be tough. As I walked down I caught Chijin looking at me. He waved with his right hand. That made me grin.

I stepped on. There he was. What was his name again? Shino, something… he had a mysterious look on him, his jacket covered part of his face, and those black glasses. Interesting…

"Now that both candidates are here, we're ready to begin. Get ready you two," the proctor said. After he said that I readied my fighting stance. The one I always used.

Both my legs separated from each other in the front and in the back, making them open. Then positioning my torso to face in an outward stance while my head was locked onto my opponent. As for my two fists: the left one was clenched in a fist and my right had my fingers pointed out like as If I were to do a karate chop. That was my fighting stance. Before a battle, I had to get my body ready for one.

Shino just stood there. He just stood there and waited.

"Now begin," the proctor said, and I immediately grabbed shuriken from my right pouch on my leg and threw some at Shino, allowing him to dodge right away. But that didn't stop me from sprinting toward him.

"Go Samu!" I heard Dana yell as I ran towards Shino. I smiled a little but was too focused on my target.

I could tell he flinched a little when he noticed me coming for him as I was feet away. He got his hands out of both his pockets and raised them up, as I laid my right fist to him for a strike. As fast as he could, he pushed away the punch I thought would hit him and struck my left cheek with his other fist. His right fist.

I staggered and felt the pain from the hit. I could only rub my cheek and feel how much that attack was a failure. I had my left eye closed as I rubbed my left cheek with my left hand. Trying to soften up my small bruise.

(Well that sure as heck didn't work… that was too quick. I'll think of something else. don't worry Samu, it'll be alright..) - Samu

After I lowered my hand from rubbing, I went for him again. This time I leaped forward and did a small twirl making my right foot go and strike him with my heel. I was making sure that he would counter my attack, so after he blocked the kick, I sent out another kick with my left heel.

(Samu really took a hit from that punch… I hope his next move is a smart one.) - Dana

(You can do this Samu..) - Chijin

(Shino really did a punch on that guy. I wonder what he'll do with this next kick from him..) - Kiba

(This Shino guy is weird looking..) - Naruto

As my left heel went for his face… I felt something tingle immediately! My eyes widened as I felt something crawl up from my foot to my pants! Something rubbing against my skin on my leg!

I couldn't stop my second kick though, I had to get through with it. So it happened.

I felt my foot press against his chest, and did a huge push against him making me leap away from him and make distance between us. What was under my leg?

I checked right away as I landed crouched on one knee. Nothing was there under my pants from my leg. I could have sworn I felt something though…

(His bugs are loose.) - Kurenai

I turned around slowly while sweat still came from my face. I gasped a little from my sight.

(What In the world?) Sakura and Dana

These bugs just came out from his sleeves on his jacket and onto his hands! I couldn't believe what I was seeing! What the..?

(What the heck? What are those… bugs!? Those look like bugs or something!) - Samu

"Hey those look like bugs coming out from his sleeves!" Naruto shouted to his sensei and Sakura.

"I know… it's so different.." Sakura replied.

(It's part of him. It always has been..) - Kurenai

"Now… my turn to strike you. The double," he said loud enough for me to hear. I was meters away from him.

He then pointed his hand facing me, and the bugs began to… follow the motion. Insects were going after me!

(Oh my… oh my.. What in the world is happening..?) - Samu

I was so scared… I had a trembling face too. Not in a long time have I been this scared. I just stood there staring at the bugs coming at me kind of slowly. They were flying now too. So many of them that I could see just sheer black form from them so close together. I just stood there and stared…

"Samu! Get out of there! Go now!" I heard a voice say to me, which struck and awakened my senses. I still had my eyes opened and had time to only blink once, as I dashed out of the way to the side, the bugs missed their attack.

I kept looking at the bugs in a formation, slowly coming for me again. At the corner of my eye I saw him. My opponent was walking towards me now. Still meters away, two obstructions were heading for me. I felt like this was it for me in this part of the exam.

(Oh no… now what do I do? Oh man I'm doomed! I don't know what to do!) - Samu

I thought as quick as I could, and saw that there was still some space in front of me separating his bugs and himself. So I took that chance and ran in the middle of the bugs and Shino, making them turn towards me again. At least it bought me some time for them to get to me..

I had to think fast again… what do I do? Kunei and shuriken won't really work.. Not thrown or tossed at him! What do I do?

(I can't believe they're getting closer and closer… I have to.. Do something.!

Shuriken… kunei? Wait a minute… knives? And my jutsu.. Could I really..? Use that?

If I could… use my chakra to slash through those bugs using a shuriken, then I think that'll give me an advantage to attack his main body! This has to work!) - Samu

"Think fast Samu… please," Dana said to herself. I think those Sand ninjas looked at her when she said that.

They were getting closer! This wasn't going to stop me from my little plan! I had to do it!

I pulled out a shuriken quickly from my pouch, and started focusing my chakra to my hand… then to my palm, and to my fingertips. Then to the hard grab on my shuriken… I opened my eyes a little and… I could see and feel small waves of chakra flowing! I knew it'd work!

(So the boy did that little technique huh? Pretty impressive…) - ?

I sprinted again to the bugs. A bold move if you asked me. I mean I'm the one going after them!

I could hear the little swarm in the air, buzzing and making a scary sound. That didn't stop me. I raised the shuriken and started slashing left and right with it in my right hand! I spun, twirled, flipped, and even jumped as the shuriken was held tight from my hand, and I could feel the air of swarmed bugs go away even quicker. I knew what to do next…

There were no bugs on that swarm. I had slayed them…

"Incredible!" Dana said to Chijin as he watched too in amusement.

My eyes stayed locked on Shino who just stood there meters away. Looking at me in those glasses.

(Looks like he figured out my little maneuver. That was a sure way to get rid of them. No matter. Another one will work for sure…) - Shino

He raised his left hand this time and bugs came out from his other sleeve. This time it looked like it was more than before! I had to think quick again.

(I can't keep my guard down.) - Samu

I pulled out another shuriken from my pouch and now had two in each hand. I closed my eyes like before, and focused my chakra on my hands and fingertips. Then to the shuriken and… it worked! But…

I opened my eyes and Shino was right in front of me! Face to face he made me flinch back, then as I stepped away from him I heard the swarm move faster from before, behind me this time!

(Oh no!) - Samu

"I have you cornered.." he said with his deep and musky voice. It made me turn back to him. "If you attack either one of us, it'll leave an opening. Give up now."

Heck no was I going to give up. Not this time! I turned around and faced the bugs coming at me, and I dashed toward them with a yell out loud. I slashed my way through again with the bugs falling and being killed. After I finished I expected him to attack from my blind spot. Then he did.

Sweat came down again from my face as he leaped up and tried to attack me with his right fist. I guess he had forgotten that I had shuriken in my hands. Or maybe…

(What? He has shuriken in his hands?) - Shino

I tossed the one on my left to him which made him dash out of the way to dodge, to his left. His attack didn't go through. Then I grinned a little. I had already focused my chakra on the one in my right hand, making the speed go faster as I threw the other one directly at him after he dodged!

It then hit his right arm. He let out a groan loud enough for me to hear at least. Blood started to form from his arm and it showed going through his jacket. He took out the shuriken and tossed it away. Blood came dripping down as he lowered his right arm. I knew he was mad from the look on him… it didn't bother me.

(Samu… how lucky are you..) - Chijin

(Way to go Samu! You did it..) - Dana

(That boy Samu sure can lay down some surprises. Why just earlier I think I…) - Sakura

"Woah, our new friend Samu is showing us what he can do. I can't wait to show him what I got," Naruto said to the others.

It didn't stop me. I needed to attack again. I needed to. I couldn't wait. It needed to be done.

I lunged at him before he could raise his arms, as he did, he showed his teeth from a hurting sensation that went on from him. It was my chakra shuriken that had gotten him.

(What now..? My arm is in so much pain from that shuriken.. What did he do?) - Shino

He then let his guard down. I lunged at him with a fist to the face. This time I got him on the cheek. He only staggered back a little, but that didn't stop me from going at it again. Then I twirled quickly to kick him with my right heel to his ribs making him flinch to the side.

I could feel my headband getting more and more loose when I leaped at him like that.

Then at an instant: I did a 360 turn and did a quick hand sign. It felt great…

(Got you!) - Samu

"Here he goes with it," Dana smiled at Chijin again. He smiled with his eyes closed as well.

"Sound Strike Jutsu!" I shouted and had my pointed right hand glowing with chakra, then I dashed toward closer to him and punctured his ribs with the jab on my right hand! The way he staggered to the side afterward was just like I had did to Dosu back in the Forest of Death. That's how I realized I had beaten him.

So far, nobody has gotten back up from that strike of mine.

…

"The winner is, Samu Kotonaru," the proctor announced to everyone. I felt pride in me. I had made it out with a smile and a strong fist.

"Way to go Samu!" she let out a proud cheer when I walked up the stairs to my teammates. Dana is so good to me. Chijin hugged me and smiled.

I totally felt pride in me and what everyone else had been giving me! Such a great feeling…

"Wow, that guy Samu beat Shino… the person even we don't know much about. And he's from the same village as us!" Sakura said to her sensei and Naruto.

"What a fight! Oh man that makes me want to go next there!" Naruto replied back to her.

"Settle down kid, you'll get your turn," their sensei said back to him.

(I have a feeling going against that guy Samu would be a challenge! I'll face him one day..) – Naruto

(How thrilling. Only closer and closer will I be able to go next!) – Rock Lee

(So far that team is becoming stronger than I expected. Weren't there another team of kids from the same village? The Sound Village?) – Neji

(I wonder how Hinata is holding up over there…) – Naruto

Dana looks to her left side after hugging me, changing her expression. She saw Hinata holding a small smile across her face, as she saw the three of us commenting and congratulating me. Dana was thinking something. I had a feeling like she was…

Still, it felt great that I won that match. Actually it felt like my heart had been filled with joy and relief. that's the kind of feeling I've wanted for a while now. Since what happened to my brother and all… but anyway, I won! I couldn't have done it without the support from my friends!

"I couldn't do it without you two to cheer me on!" I said happily to them. Dana smiled with Chijin.

"Oh come on Samu, this guy and I wouldn't hesitate to wish for the best for you!" she replied holding Chijin with her arm around him.

I laughed a little, then turned away and took a deep breath. A long one to relieve myself from that part of stress I endured. I got tired of standing, so I sat down and smiled.

"Uhh right then. Let's head onto the next match. The next two up are, Misumi Tsurugi and Kankuro," the proctor said, then coughed after.

My head picked up after I heard their names. I didn't know any of them. Whoever they were, I thought how they'd do. Pretty darn good if you ask me. Glad I didn't go up against that Kankuro guy from the Sand Village.

…

"Next up is Choji Akimichi and Chijin Sonohoka. Please step forward," the proctor said. I had risen my head up and looked at Chijin again, standing against the rail over the arena. Dana also looked at him.

"You're up," Dana said to him, making him turn to her and smile. "Don't get too nervous okay? We know you can do this.." she comforted him more. I stood up and tried to talk to him.

"Now it's your turn to show them what you can do. You've got it in you for sure!" I said to him reassuringly making him open his eyes and say thank you to us. He then walked down the stairs and go to the battle area. We hadn't known what the opponent looked like or seen any of the jutsu they've done. Another random mystery opponent just like the way we fought against..

"Oh man… this wont end well.." Shikamaru said to the girl next to him.

"Please have some sort of support Shikamaru, Choji needs this!" she said back to him.

"Now now you two, let Choji do what he can do. Let's not give up now okay?" their sensei said to them, giving a cool smile.

(I don't know anything about this guy. Whoever he is, I'm ready for whatever he throws at me..) - Chijin

(I'll show everyone what I got!) - Choji

"Um, okay then. If you two are ready, then begin," the proctor said for the last time…

My teammate pulled out a kunei and readied himself for any attacks from his opponent. Then he started doing hand signs to reveal a jutsu.

"Human Boulder Jutsu!" Choji yelled, and turned into a spinning wrecking ball from the looks of it, it made me gasp along with Dana to widen her eyes as we saw the first move.

He charges at my teammate spinning like a ball and wrecking the ground as he went for him. Chijin still had his kunei and stance ready for him. He focused really hard on what he had to do. He dashes right out of the way making the human boulder go and hit the wall against him and he stopped spinning. This gave Chijin a chance to make a move.

"Sound Technique: Swiping Kick!" Chijin shouted and leaped in the air next to the human boulder guy and did a twirl, as he spun for the last time and kicked with his left leg against his opponent.

A loud scream was then let out, making everyone gasp from the Leaf Village. When Chijin finished his move, it's like as if he already knew he won…

Choji Akimichi then returned to his normal self and lied on the ground, defeated. He made small little groans about the hit.

"Oh. The winner is Chijin Sonohoka, from the Sound Village," the proctor said, making Dana and I smile. I only did a small shout of victory to make everyone hear.

My teammate only does a small grin for his victory.

"Ohh… somehow I knew it was pointless for him to go against someone else.." the girl said.

"That's our Choji, always thinking with his stomach." Shikamaru said back to her.

"Even though he lost the least we can do for him is take him out for some barbeque beef. I think he's had enough for one day. All three of you have had enough for one day. But you Shikamaru, you're going to need the most rest.." their sensei said to them. Shikamaru only looked at him in confusion.

"What? What are you talking about," he replied in a calm voice.

(It's finally over..) - Hayate Gekkou

(At long last we can begin the final rounds..) - Hokage

"And with that match, the third round Preliminaries are now finished." Hayate, our proctor, said to us.

"I commend all those who have made it for the final levels of the Chunin Exams. Well, there's one person missing but still, congratulations," he said again. This time, all of us stood in a horizontal line, those who had won the matches! Even my entire squad!

"Of course, with the exception of Shikamaru Nara that won too, that went against Dana Hyuga. His outstanding ability against his opponent made him win after all, even though he lost legitimately." Hayate said, this made everyone be aware.

Dana had a look in her eyes.

"Wait, what? I won too?" Shikamaru said from the stairwell, his sensei behind him.

"I knew you'd still make it boy," his sensei said to him.

(Oh man… even though I lost I still get to advance into the next level. So this is what Asuma sensei meant… I sure am lucky.) - Shikamaru

"Yes Shikamaru Nara from our Leaf Village, you've done quite well displaying your battle maneuvers and showed us that you can excel as a Chunin. Congratulations mostly!" the third Hokage said to him. "Now, I will begin to explain the final rounds of the Chunin Exams.."

(Here, including the absent Sasuke, we have four ninja from the Leaf Village. Three from the Sand Village, and three others from the Sound Village.) - Hokage

(Well it's about time..) - Naruto

"Accordingly the final battles will commence one month from now, this is to provide a suitable side of preparation. To know you're adversaries you need time. Now remember to get some rest as well. This time off should prepare you for the final battles in the exams to put it shortly."

We all heard the Hokage say it. I could only think about my two teammates as well as the new people I've met since we came here. I wonder what the other three would have thought…

(This… gives me time. Time to know more about that certain something. I just have questions that should be answered.) - Dana

(… I'm hungry.) - Chijin

"Now with all that behind us, I'd like to begin winding things up. There's still one more important matter we should take care of before the final rounds. In an orderly fashion each one of you will take a slip of paper with a number on it, that Anko is holding."

"Everyone just stay where you are, I'll come to you," Anko, the second proctor said to us. She walked towards us from the line we stood in, and the little box had the papers in them. All I could think was what they were for. Slowly but surely the box soon came to me, and I reached in to grab the random slip…

"Good now everyone has one. Now going from left to right tell me the numbers on your slip of paper," the other proctor said with a clipboard in his hands.

"I've got nine," Chijin said.

"Number one of course.." Naruto said irritatingly.

"Seven," the girl from the Sand Village said.

"Five," the Sand Genin said after.

"Three," Gaara the Sand Genin said too.

"Eight," Shikamaru said.

"Ten," Dana said.

"Two," Neji said.

"Six," I finally said after.

"Then that means Sasuke will be number four," Ibiki the proctor said.

"Ibiki please show which ninja that have been paired up with," Hokage said. After that I had a serious and questioning face..

The proctor showed us from the clipboard who will be fighting who in the final rounds! It looks like I got paired up with… that guy with the puppet thing from the Sand Village!

"I have a question. Since this is like a tournament thing, does that mean that only one of us is going to become Chunin?" Shikamaru asked irritatingly.

"There will be judges including myself and the Kazekage from various Villages that will observes each and every one of your abilities during battle. That will determine if you will become Chunin. Not if you win or not." the Hokage replied to his response. I immediately heard it all and picked my head up to look at the Hokage.

(That means it's not about winning… it's about showing what I could do to prove myself! I've got to try my hardest to prove myself!) - Samu

"I thank you all for your patience. Now let us ajourn from this selection," the Hokage said back to us.

(Well I guess this could be it. I have to really try to prove myself. I need to ask Kenshin sensei for help…) - Samu

…

My squad waited on a bridge just standing around. The three of us just stood near each other. Quiet as ever. It was about, an hour later that day.

Dana picked her head up and looked at me.

"How are you feeling guys?" she asked.

"I'm relieved. Really I can't believe we get to go to the real final rounds," I replied to her with a little grin.

She then looked at Chijin after that. He just stood against the edge looking at the floor of the bridge we stood on. Just remained quiet.

Well it sure got awkward pretty fast.

"… At least we get to be in this together, right?" Dana said again.

"Yeah.." I replied. Trying to break the silence.

After that it got quiet again. Something was definitely bothering us. Even I couldn't tell what it was.

(Oh man talk about awkward around these two. What happened back when we worked as a team in the Forest of Doom or whatever..?) - Samu

Then Kenshin our sensei appeared. It's been a while since we've all been together again..

"Hey you three. How's it going?" he says to us. We just look at him with mad faces. Dana and I did, not Chijin.

"Seriously? You decide to show up to us NOW, that the preliminaries are over?" she tells him. All mad.

"Well I had important business to take care of back in the Sound Village. I actually had to go all the way back there to report some things," he replies nervously.

Dana just has her arms crossed, annoyed.

"Sensei… we needed you back there. Wasn't there some way you could have stopped by and seen us fight?" I asked him with sympathy.

"Well, I was already back in the village by the time the preliminaries started. So I couldn't have gone back."

(Weird how it took him one entire day to go to the village and back on the same day… I'm still mad at him.) - Dana

"Yeah I guess so.." I said. Sadly.

"On the bright side, I heard my Team Sound advanced. All three of you!" he said with his hopes up.

I smiled at him and looked, "That's right sir."

"I can't say how proud I am of you three. I sure have shown you a lot. All three of you," he replied with a smile.

"So… what are we going to do while we wait for the final rounds sensei? Does that mean more training? All three of us have to prepare.." I added to him questioning.

"You've guessed it. You got that right Samu."

"Well… when do we begin?" Dana asked.

"In about a week." he says back to us.

Then my jaw drops and eyes widen as Dana does the same. Chijin is in the background with a frown and arms crossed.

"Wait… you mean… seven days… without work at all?" Chijin asked slowly.

"Are you serious?!" Dana shouted furiously.

"But sensei… that's one fourth out our month we need to get ready," I added with a sad surprised face.

"Now now calm down you three. I have a good reason for this. I want you three to prepare on your own until then that's all!" he said back nervously..

I couldn't believe this…

"But… that doesn't.." I added.

"You've got to trust me on this. It would be good for you three."

Dana let out a long sigh like she was frustrated and put her arms in the back of her head and said, "That's it, I'm getting something to eat.."

She started to walk back in the opposite direction of the bridge.

Chijin started to follow her. They got away from us long enough so they couldn't hear what Kenshin and I would talk about.

"Oh sensei, you really are doing a number on us…" I said to him frustrated too.

"Samu. You are the one I want to train the most. But I cant right now.." he said, which made me look at him with concern.

"All I ask is you three wait a while until I get back from the Sound Village. I have important things to do. Just hear me out on this. I need you to tell the others that this time should not be wasted. I mean don't slack off from training yourselves. Work as a team.."

I just listened to what he said.

"… I don't expect the top notch of the best out of this entire week, but I do want you three to be ready. Please don't slack off. Train as much as you can for next week."

He started to walk away from me as I just stood on the bridge still.

"Remember son, you're the one I want to train the most…" after he said that I just felt the wind blow and saw leaves fall from nearby trees.

"Oh, and tell the others that there are hotel rooms you three could stay in that I've rented this whole month. If you want I could send personal things when I get back next week into your rooms. Would you like that?"

"…Yeah. I would like that." I said back to him. I could only think of him… that one person still back in the Sound Village. My brother: Tanahu Kotonaru.

"Well then. You'll find the hotel you'll be in don't worry. I guess I'll see you later then."

"Yeah sensei. I'll see you later.."

"Bye then!" my sensei dashes out from where he stood and must have went back to the Sound Village. I still thought about what he was telling me.

That he wanted to train me the most out of the squad. I needed him to explain more, but it was alright. It felt a little okay and I felt a little special after that.

Then I picked my head back up and realized I needed to tell the others! Oh man now to find them…

I guess we're staying here again in the Leaf Village. Oh man…

Naruto - Neji

Sasuke - Gaara

Kankuro - Samu

Shikamaru - Temari

Dana - Chijin


	9. Moment

**9: MOMENT**

So like, it's supposed to be that time for us to become Chunin, but that isn't happening any time soon. Well I guess a month away is enough for me to go CRAZY since our sensei isn't even here to begin with. What's his deal with being at the Sound Village so much?

Dana got me wondering… why is Kenshin sensei so strict on going over there again and again? She had a point when she said it's getting a little ridiculous over and over. My thoughts about it are as clear as hers is. I don't even think Chijin cares that much… both of them are pretty mad.

'What can you do right?': nothing. Nothing but train myself. See, that's what got me mad at him.. Now there's bound to be something wrong with both of them since they're upset about this.

All I want is to start preparing for the finals already! Is that so hard to ask for?

"No it isn't hard to ask for, but our sensei doesn't see it that way.." Dana said with an upset tone, her arms crossed. The three of us sat on stools in a small ramen shop eating noodles with Dana in the middle, and from facing us, I was on the left. Chijin was the one slowly eating while I picked up noodles with chopsticks after every sentence. Dana still had her arms crossed. With an upset face.

"C'mon, can we really blame him?" I tried to bring hopes up.

"That's something brave to say. Despite how he didn't even watch us fight in the preliminaries AND won't train us for a whole week." she replied with the upset tone.

I just kept eating and thinking, "Ugh it gets me so mad!" she said, then rubbing her forehead a little.

I could tell she was frustrated. Besides what Kenshin sensei is doing, there must have been something that was also upsetting her. Getting her off. I think I knew what was with her..

"Well you got to do what you got to do, if he ain't here then we'll just have to train on our own," I said blankly with my eyes closed and finished my noodles.

Then I look to my right and see that Naruto Uzu- something sitting two seats from me. Just eating nonstop with that ramen bowl. I thought I had an appetite.

Then he catches me looking at him. I flinch a little.

"Hey you're Kotonaru from the Sound Village place, right?" he asks with his eyes closed.

"Oh hey again Naruto, yes it's me," with a nervous chuckle, "we're just having something to eat real quick. It's Samu by the way."

I smiled to him.

(Oh right that was his name… I forgot these new kids already.) - Naruto

"Alright son you finished?" the chef from the other side of the counter where we ate at said, with a musky and manly voice.

"Yup just about," he said back to him. Then I had a little idea that we could do..

"Hey Naruto, why don't I pay for your meal, then we could go for a walk or something.." I suggested to him. I thought it was a nice thing to say.

"Oh really? Thanks Samu I'll wait for you outside," he said back to me and jotted out.

"Okay sir, how much do I owe you for his meal?" I asked the chef.

"Well he had three bowls, so that's about twenty RYO."

(I thought he only had one bowl… but I barely even saw him. He DOES have a big appetite…) - Samu

I had a nervous smile, "Oh no problem then," before I could finish, Chijin interrupts me.

"So you ready to pay for us Samu?" he has a menacing smile… how evil!

I only look at him and Dana in amazement… ARE THEY SERIOUSLY GOING TO MAKE ME PAY THIS MUCH?

"Oh c'mon guys!" I…

Dana just looks at me with a face of… deception. Her arms are still crossed.

I haven't even paid for my bowl yet…

(Oh this is going through me badly…) - Samu

What was I thinking to try and be nice to pay for someone else's food? You can just refer to me as a doormat from here on then…

I walked out of the ramen place with my teammates, Dana seemed still upset and Chijin lets out a burp.

"So what's up Samu? What'd you want to do exactly?" Naruto asked me.

"I thought you could show me around this place, like a training ground or something," I suggested.

"Oh okay, I know just the place," he then started to walk the other direction.

I took a step towards him but Dana stopped me, "What about us Samu?"

"Yeah why don't you come with us?" I suggested.

"You could talk to Sakura again too," Naruto suggested too facing her.

Dana had a surprised face with widened eyes. Then she looked at the ground and fixed a piece of her hair that got in her face. I couldn't tell if she blushed or not. Either way, she turned away and said that it's fine with just Naruto and me.

She didn't even give Chijin a choice. She just held him by the wrist, and he looked at me and shrugged his shoulders.

I had a concerned face for Dana…

(What was that all about..?) - Samu

"Well I guess it's just us!" he said and the both of us walked side by side out of the market place, where few people were walking about.

…

"..And there is the local hospital we got!" Naruto said to me with joy. A glimpse from the corner of my eye. I saw a person.

Naruto kept talking about that hospital so I thought it'd be okay if I faked listening to him. To get a glimpse at who was over there picking.. Flowers?

She was… crouched, looking at a pair of flowers that must have been ready to be picked. They were next to a single tree just outside from the hospital. The shade covering her from the hot sun as she was there just looking at those flowers.

A small breeze went by. I widened my eyes and blocked out from what Naruto was saying completely. I kept staring at that girl.. I don't know what kind of… emotion I was feeling at that very moment, but it felt so… different.

Why was that? Feeling that different feel. When I looked at that girl just smiling at that pair of flowers beneath that tree. That beautiful tree. Leaves fell from it of course.

I only took a couple of steps to get a closer look at her. Then I stopped and realized who it was. Sakura Haruno…

Her pink hair glistened and made the sun become completely blank from the shade she was under. What a coinsidence. Finding a person like that around this time. I don't know how it could have happened. It's a cause that's meant to be I guess.

I never really thought about it that way.. Now that I tell the tale all over again, it just feels different now that I think about it. Why was I so intrigued with her staring at that pair of… flowers?

It was a beautiful scene to see. I mean, what kind of more precious picture could I think of next? Right now, I could think of one. A different one. But I hadn't known it yet at that time, when I saw Sakura stand up from the shaded tree. Her short hair blew as much as it could. She's still staring into that flower patch.

Why… was I… feeling.. This? I was so blank… so intrigued and seemed like I felt something. I felt something more.

It reminds me of… my brother.

How else… could I think of it? I hadn't known it. If only I was more wise to realize. Her disguise.

I wish I had known what I felt. At that very moment with her smiling as she took off her headband and just looked down at it in her palms. It touched my heart.

I known what it meant. Maybe I didn't, but I had a feeling I knew.

Aside from that, I took my eyes off for a second. Then had a vision…

The same scenario: this time, my brother and I are smiling at each other in the Sound Village, just outside of our old home. Oh how beautiful it was to be around. Just stalling. The two of us. A sibling to care about was a precious thing.

That vision went away pretty quick, as I noticed the girl, Sakura, is walking straight towards me. Still carrying her headband and looking down at it in her hands.

I widened my eyes and…

Then… that's when I fell in love.

That sheer moment of your heart just stops. The realization I've become to know about. Now. Like I said before, I wish I had _really_ known what it meant..

I couldn't bear to move a muscle. I just kept my eyes on her as she kept walking towards me. Is it really… me?

Could it have really been me she was… walking towards..? Why.. Did I ever feel that. Why did I ever _feel _that?

My eyes felt like rolling up from staring out so much, I forgot to blink. Then I smiled a little and shook my head from it, regaining myself from that blank full of… love? Could it really have been?

I wish I had known before…

By then, I just kept.. Stalling. That's what I was really doing. I was just stalling.

Oh god… do I really have a feeling about this place? Why is this so..? Could it mean that…

Then I realized again. That picture of innocence. With her minding her own business staring into a pair of flowers from the ground. After what had happened at the Preliminaries during the second exam. She showed her WILL of FIRE.

God, I wish I had known what the Will of Fire meant back then. I wish I could tell myself from then what it really meant. But I didn't have anyone to tell me it. Not yet.

She showed it to me. What purity comes from and inner will is. Why so… fast? It happened so fast.

Love.

Her beauty. It just… had me. It kept me inside.

She looks at me in a little surprise. Then I flinch and let out a cough. An embarrassing moment.

Naruto then suddenly turns around from his talking about that building. He seemed concerned. Then I started coughing even more, right after the other. Then I looked at Naruto.

I thought I heard him say something… I knew he said something but I couldn't hear it for some reason. I never will know what he said to me. It was so intiment.

Love. That's what I saw in those green eyes of Sakura's. why… was this happening? That feeling was so… different. Maybe my stalling lead to this, but whatever.

What might have lead me to witnessing such beauty? That didn't matter at that time. What could have though..?

(I… can't believe what I just saw..) - Samu

"Are you alright Samu?"

She remembered my name. that small moment of reassuring joy from something you didn't expect. It felt… different again.

You could always smile to let out your feelings. And that's what I did that day.

…

"It's just a little cough, nothing to worry about," I said to Naruto and Sakura.

"It just sounds a little sick that's all.." she said to me, concerned.

Then I heard another voice come upon to us from behind of me. It was Dana and Chijin.

"There you are Samu, we've been looking for you after our discussion earlier," she said to me. She mustn't have seen Sakura which I was covering when talking to her.

"Hey it's the other two," Naruto said greetingly.

Dana noticed, moved her body so she could see what was in the way of me. She got in contact with Sakura. Then without hesitation, without the slightest of a meet: Dana turned away. She just looked at the ground.

"Well, I guess we're just missing one person.." Chijin added with a grin. Then Sakura heard it and looked at the ground too.

(Sasuke… I hope you're okay.) – Sasuke

"Yeah you're right. That other person.." Naruto added.

Then I thought about things. They really missed that Sasuke guy. From what I've known, he has been injured from the Preliminaries and hasn't been around. Mysterious.

I know what it's like to miss someone. Of course, who hasn't?

But I mean deep from the heart: a person that has been lost or taken away for some reason, it hurts I know that.

"Samu… why don't we go train or something..?" Dana suggested to me, while she is still looking at the ground.

I looked at her and was concerned, "Um alright I guess.. I'll see the both of you later okay?" I told Naruto and Sakura.

He nodded and Sakura smiled a little. The when I turned to Dana I saw her blush and eyes widen as she saw Sakura smile. I sure noticed that…

If only I knew back then as well. Then I would have understood more clearly. At that time, it was that moment where I thought: 'What's up with Dana lately? Why does she have those little moods all of a sudden?'

I turned to Chijin and Dana and walked with them the other direction. My two other friends stayed where they were at. Walking us leave.

"Hey Sakura…"

"Yes Naruto?" she turned to him.

"I don't really know what to think, but I hope everything is okay.." he was so reassured.

"Thanks Naruto. You're something else…" she smiles. Then she looks at Dana walk away specifically.

The time will come for sure.

…

"I'm ready for whatever you throw at me!" I shouted to Chijin, he threw kunei at me and charged at me.

I blocked the knives he threw with one of mine, and got ready for his attack.

I thought he'd be going head on, but he leaped in the air and did a kick with his left leg, that I soon blocked with my right arm. That didn't stop him from using both his palms to do a strong push against my chest, making me go back a few feet.

My sandals scraped backwards against the grass and I could feel little dirt rub against my toes. "Good one Chijin! Now it's my turn…"

I felt Dana watch us from her staring at our little combat session, she was sitting on a small fence that didn't have spikes or anything. Like a fence that'd be for herding sheep around. Her right hand under her chin like she was thinking things. But she just watched us.

He readied his arms for defense.

My hand flowed with chakra, then clenched both my hands in fists. Only my right fist was the Sound Strike technique enabled. I had a for sure thought that I'd be able to get him once with this one.

I charged at him and did a little yell, and he dodged my first blow that I aimed for his shoulder. I noticed his dodge and tried to do a swipe with the same fist to do a hook attack. Then he ducked and laid two punches to my stomach area and backed away from me.

I groaned a little from it, and rubbed my stomach as much as I could from the pain. Chijin always was good for counter techniques. I still knew he was that kind of guy!

"Good move… now you come get me.." I told him smiling and readied my chakra engulfed fists.

Chijin focused on me and my stance. I had a feeling he would throw something first and then attack, since he's a counter-based ninja.

I thought he would, but instead said, "Sound Technique: Whirlwind" then I didn't have a smile anymore. More of a worried face…

He did a spin almost went all the way around, he had his back turned to me, and I still had a worried face. He did a back flip in the air that went over my head and appeared behind me and spun again, making wind in the air feel heavier, pushing me backward and tumbling me over and over backwards. Over the grass was I going backward.

I stopped rolling and landed on my stomach to the ground. I opened my eyes and saw how far I've tumbled backward: must have been more than a lot of feet away! Such power he had…

(Chijin's power.. It really does show! He's a good opponent to go against for sure. Makes me want to get better!) - Samu

I smiled when I thought that. Then I got back up and ran towards Chijin to fight some more. I saw his face get a little worried when I was going for him, I smiled when I laid my fist on his locked hands that blocked them. One after another, I punched and hooked as much as I could to him.

It wasn't long until after our little combat, that I soon broke and stopped it. First I tried to be cool and swiped my right leg under him which made him bring both his legs up and jump. I did a little grin because I knew he couldn't get rid of this next move.

When he was in the air, I readied my chakra on my left fist that was clenched, so by the time he'd land on his feet it'd give me an opening for a punch!

"Sound Strike!" I had a fierce face when shouting that, making it more in the moment if you'd ask me.

The plan worked. I punched him in the stomach which made him gag. He didn't fly back like I would ever think, he just went back a few feet. But that was because he was in the air still, when I punched. I thought he'd land first, and then I would punch. Instead he was still in the air and I managed to get him. I felt good.

I smiled after that. Then I took a big breath as I looked at Chijin on the ground with his back to on the ground. He managed to stagger a little when he got back up and did heavy breathing when he did.

"Well alright then… real good moves there," he smiles as he says it, still breathing heavy.

"Couldn't let you get me just yet friend. Had to do it," I replied smiling back.

"If it helps you win, then go for it," he had a happy face after saying that and showing his teeth. What a little quote that was…

'If it helps you win, then go for it.' I always 'til this day, loved that quote from Chijin. He really was that kind of guy. I knew it from the start.

I looked over to Dana, who was smiling at me and him. I wonder what she was thinking…

(They're training pretty hard with each other. Samu looks like he's picking up his skills. That's a good thing. I feel.. Like training for myself rather than just fighting. But how can I train with… her on my mind..?

She's bugging me… I cant get her out of my head. What she was telling me to what I was saying back to her. This is all just so weird for me. I don't understand how.. How she can just not feel the same way. I don't know what's wrong with me!

I've definitely, never felt something like this before. It's killing me to have this feeling! Now I bet she thinks I'm weird. All because I opened my big mouth.. Afterall, we just met. It's too fast anyway. Plus we're young.

We're young. I'm a year older than her, but I just feel this thing for her… I wish I would have told her that. It's going to be hard to get her off my mind.) - Dana

"Hey Sakura, is something bothering you?" Ino asked her.

"No. I'm just thinking about something that's all. Thanks for asking," she replied. Both of them sitting outside of that hospital I visited. They were on a bench outside.

"Okay then. It's just getting on my nerves, and worries me about Sasuke. Not to mention what happened to Rock Lee.." Ino said back to her.

(You're feeling the same way Ino. Sasuke… where are you? And Lee… please don't get hurt.

And… _you_. I'm so.. I don't know what I feel about _you._

After what _you've _told me, I can't say I'm not surprised. Right from the start I could tell. Maybe I should of said it to _you, _but it wouldn't… be right.) - Sakura

"Hey Ino," Sakura told her, Ino got her attention towards her. "Have you ever felt something… deep in your heart, and you cant release or let it out? Something personal.."

She just looked at Sakura, "Well, no I guess I haven't. Why, what is it?" she got serious.

"There's something I don't understand about another person, and I don't know how to deal with it…"

"Well, if I can help, then would that be okay?" Ino suggested.

"I don't know if I can even do that, see.." Sakura blushed more.

Ino scooted next to her, "C'mon I'm here for you. You can tell me.." she smiled a little.

Sakura just looked at her with a little frown and began to say, "Well…" then Ino leaned in from her ear to Sakura's mouth. Sakura then told her whilst whispering. By that time, it was okay.

(It was okay. I can only hope things can get better. What do I possibly have to worry about, right?) - Dana

"Hey Dana, how'd we do? Pretty good the two of us right?" I said to her in a happy saying, Chijin next to me smiling as well.

She just smiled too after her thought, then looked up at the cloudy sky. Thinking about that special something.

Then, at the same time, both of them blushed. Two normal people are thinking about each other at the same time.

I think that's a very unique kind of bond. Not more of a bond, more like a moment. Yeah, it's that.


	10. The Training Begins

**10: THE TRAINING BEGINS**

By the middle of the week we didn't have Kenshin sensei, Team Sound only got better at fighting each other. That's what I thought, due to Chijin and me going back and forth at doing one on one combat. I wasn't sure if Dana was getting what she wanted during this time off, so we just spent as much as we could with our money and stalled until our sensei came back.

I was worried about Dana. I didn't ask her all week if something had been bothering her or if she didn't feel well. I probably should have, that way I wouldn't have to have gone through all this little talking and misunderstanding.

Dana is my friend. I'm closer to her than she has ever had. I've known her all my life. It was a duty of mine to be there for her and do what she couldn't. It was time to help a good friend.

"Why don't we go get something to eat? Get out of training for a while," Dana suggested with nervous body language.

I was about to throw my kunei at a small wooden target on a tree. I lowered it and looked like I would question why she would want to go out.. Chijin had his arms crossed the whole time; he was watching me train and noticed Dana's suggestion. He seemed alright with what to do.

So we agreed and went to find someplace good to eat. There was this bar-and-grill we saw from a sign when we went into town, so we looked for it and eventually found it. It's a small place that seemed like it stood out from the other small restaurant's that were near.

I suggested we go in to check it out, and we did. We entered and the first thing we heard whilst I was smiling was some person calling the waiter for more food. It got to the point to where even Chijin took notice and got irritated as well.

"Will you step on in please? Follow me to your seat," a hostess came to us and led us to a booth to sit.

The menus seemed fancy. This place we've never been before I can for sure tell about that. Chijin and I looked at the menus, but Dana seemed bored or somewhat… unhappy. She leaned on her hand touching against her face when we were sitting.

"So I'm thinking about a salad for me… but I want something like soup too. What do you think?" I told Chijin. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled as I looked at him. That was his response. "Uh, thanks.."

(Wow. Now I'll really decide what to order. Thanks a lot Chijin…) – Samu

That was sarcastic by the way.

"Waiter! I've ordered more pork over here!" that irritating voice came again across from our table.

"Here you are sir, more enough for the three of your friends!" the happy waiter replied to him and brought a big plate of meat.

"Well alright then. Dig in you three," the adult said, smiling like he was about to get some.

"Sensei! Let me pick which ones first!" the annoying boy said again, having his chopsticks ready to pick which pork slabs that was cooked.

"Alright Choji go ahead.." the sensei smiles. The hungry boy smiled and got a lot of that pork that just got there. I couldn't believe how much food he was eating!

"Oh Choji, you sure always get a hand full. Or should I say mouthful! Ha-ha!" the sensei said smiling.

"Don't encourage him Asuma sensei. He always does this.." that boy Shikamaru we've met before was there too. Sitting with them.

"Yes, but let this time be a moment of resting. You've got work to do afterward Shikamaru," the sensei said back.

"Yeah I know. I already know that…" Shikamaru seemed really bored or something.

(He does have a point. I need to work more and train to get ready for the final rounds. After this, we got to work harder.. It'll be such a drag.) – Shikamaru

"Hey Chijin, isn't that your opponent over sitting at that other table? That team was in the Preliminaries remember?" I told him. He was sitting next to me on the same side of the booth.

"Oh yeah you're right. He sure is eating a lot." I agreed with him. "I've got to go to the bathroom, if the waiter comes, tell them I want the ribs for me?" I agreed again and he got up to go do his business.

Then it was just me and Dana sitting across from each other in the booth. She seemed like she just kept to herself but when I asked her things she always replied without looking at me.

"You feeling alright?" I asked her.

"Yeah I'm fine.."

I tilted my head when I looked at her, "Are you sure about that?"

"It's just these," she sighed, "little things that keep bothering me that's all."

"Oh yeah? What are they exactly? What's been bothering you?"

She looked at me finally. She tried to smile, "I wish I could tell you Samu. But you're a boy.."

(What does that mean? I don't get it…) – Samu

"But Dana…" before I finished my sentence I saw Chijin come back but he was next to that table across from us with that Leaf team. With that annoying boy…

"… Choji? Do you remember your opponent from the Chunin Preliminaries? Here he is! Greet him why don't you," the sensei added for them. They all looked at Chijin.

"Oh. Hey there.. Um what was your name?" the boy said with his chopsticks holding a piece of pork.

"I am Chijin Sonohoka, nice to meet you all. And good to see a worthy opponent there, Choji," Chijin said it all so nice to them. I couldn't see his face since I was sitting at the booth still and listening what they were saying.

"That's my squad back there actually," he walked to the side and pointed her palm to us, introducing us without saying our names. It happened too fast and I didn't see it coming, neither did Dana.

I gave a nervous smile and wave to them and Dana tried to smile a little. It was an awkward first impression indeed.

"Well isn't that nice. Enjoy your meal you three!" Asuma sensei said, (their sensei said).

"Thank you sir," Chijin bowed. Then a familiar face came peeking out from a window next to their booth. Across from us again… and I could see perfectly.

It was Sakura Haruno! My little crush that I've just met! I couldn't help but blush as I looked at her.

"Well if it isn't Sakura. What are you doing on out here?" Ino said to her as if she was annoyed by Sakura.

"Oh I'm just walking by over to the hospital again. Seeing if Sasuke is doing alright. And if Lee is doing fine too," she looked serious.

(SHE is going to see SASUKE? I'll beat her to it!) – Ino

"Ha! I'm going with you." Ino said out.

"What?"

"I'm sure Sasuke will for sure want to see me more than anyone else… I'm sure of it," she did a little pose and smiled with sheer confidence.

(Oh boy. Girls…) – Shikamaru

"Well if you're going, then at least say goodbye to your new friends, Ino?" Asuma sensei said to her.

"Huh? Oh yeah.." she looked at Chijin.

He just stood there and wasn't thinking.

"Oh sorry! I'm Chijin and that is my squad of Sound Genin.." he said AGAIN with a smile. All he does is embarrass us! Messed up if you ask me!

I caught Dana looking even more nervous and blushing now, from Sakura noticing her and I. then I looked at Sakura, and I shouted a loud yelp in front of everyone.

"I THINK I'LL GO TO THE RESTROOM NOW, I'LL BE BACK!" I blurted out while I walked in a fast pace away from everyone. A nervous smile to go along with it. I'm so awkward!

"Well, I'll let you all get back to your meals. Enjoy, friends," Chijin said to them and they greeted back.

He sat back down with Dana and both of them stayed quiet as they waited for their food to get there.

As I got out of the 'MENS' room I felt a little of discomfort if I went back to our table in front of our teammates and new friends. I let out a sigh as I left the room and noticed something out of the ordinary. A hallway to my left, I saw a person I thought I'd seen before. They seemed to be walking past the shop outside of us and went by pretty fast. I couldn't help but go and see who it was outside.

When I went out looking for the person, I turned to my left and saw him walking fast with hands in his pockets and looking side to side. I could tell that he didn't want to be noticed from his body language.

So I followed him. I wasn't thinking clearly and only thought about following that person instead of going back into the restaurant with my friends. So I walked in the same pace as him and followed. I just wanted to see who it was. That was all that was on my mind at the moment.

"Where is Samu? It shouldn't take him this long to get back from the restroom. Can you go get him Chijin?" Dana said with her arms crossed. She looked mad.

"Oh, Samu went out of the restaurant. He left."

"What?! Why would he leave?" Dana rose up from her seat.

"Beats me." Chijin replied.

(Oh you're going to get it Chijin… you get on my nerves!) – Dana

She sighed, "Well we'd better go get him then.. Come on," Dana and Chijin got out of their seats and stormed off out the shop.

"I wonder what the rush is.." Asuma said.

"I guess they won't eat then," Shikamaru said.

"Alright! Order for three?" the waiter came by our table and neither of us was there. Only the team across from us was there. Three of them.

A pause as the waiter held the food on a platter.

"Right here waiter!" Choji said aloud and caught his attention.

"Oh Choji… you got to stop this," Asuma blurted out.

"What a pain to go through…" Shikamaru said too.

He tried to get our food. Oh well…

The guy I was following only got faster and faster. From walking to running in minutes, I chased him for quite a while. It was like that time my brother and I went out chasing little possums before I went into the ninja academy. My parents were still there at our old home and my brother still, always beat me when it came to running. I sure do miss him…

I stopped from an intersection, people walking everywhere, and I think I had lost him from the crowds. I looked side to side to look for him, but it was no use.

Then I caught a glimpse of a balcony that wasn't so high up. Maybe if I went up there then I could catch the guy in an instant!

I jumped up and climbed from a little building and got to the balcony in no time, whilst I heard some folks get freaked out by me jumping up there and all and ignored me then.

I could feel the sun's heat staring me down, as I kept a sharp eye out for the guy. There he was! In the same direction I was chasing him from! He was on the move, so I went from rooftop to rooftop. Jumping and leaping on and off everywhere, I made sure I didn't lose my eye on that guy.

"Oh where is he?" Dana said aloud to Chijin as they got stuck in a crowd.

He shrugged at her.

"Ughh. Well I guess we have to split up. Go right and I'll go left!" she said to him.

Both of them went in other directions from the intersection I was at, and I still followed the guy running away from me. I couldn't tell if the guy even noticed me or not, that didn't matter.

Then I saw him take off his straw hat and reveal his head. His hair bouncing as he ran in the same direction.

(That's him! I know that hair anywhere..!) – Samu

I kept my distance on the rooftop and kept on him!

(Oh… where the heck is he? Why would he run off like this? He knew we were going to get back to training again…) – Dana

(He couldn't have gone far…) – Chijin

(I've got to keep my eye on this guy!) – Samu

As I leaped once more from a rooftop, I landed on foot on another roof, but my other foot didn't make the same speed and didn't land. Then I staggered and was panicking as I tried to keep my balance, I noticed an alleyway down if I fell backward and didn't want to break anything if I fell!

(Oh no, no, no, no!) – Samu

Then I crouched myself and kept my balance. I breathed a lot and almost fell. Then I remembered I got to get back to following that guy!

"Oh no!" I shouted and kept running to the guy.

Then he went into the woods which made me follow him even more.

So into the woods I went. "Where is he? Why is he doing this?"

Dana and Chijin met up again, the spot where I went into the forest, and didn't even notice me.

I crept behind a couple of bushes while the shades of trees covered me. I saw the person standing, doing hand signs and seemed to be concentrating hard on it. What was this person doing?

"Transformation!" I heard his voice say, his eyes opened wide and confirmed his jutsu.

He then started talking to himself, but I don't know why… like he was saying it to another person, but nobody was there. I could remember the last time I heard about transformation jutsu's, they were almost forbidden in the land of Fire.

Something about waiting, and patience was a virtue. The man said more about… an invasion? Why? What is going on?

Then he said something about… killing others. But waiting is important for some reason. Why? I had so many questions that I wanted to know. I remember again earlier that day that something strange would happen. I had a feeling it would happen.

Then I coughed aloud and it hurt my stomach but… it revealed my position!

The man quickly turned around and looked directly into my eyes! I panicked and started to flinch and run backwards in fear. All I could see was the hood over his head and hair covering part of his face. Something in those eyes…

Whatever I saw back there, it was true fear to me. I immediately panicked like a coward and tried to find a way out of the forest. Running and not looking back was my only option in my thoughts at that moment. Then, just like that, I witnessed a glimpse of fear.

…

"What the heck are you saying? What did you see?" Dana asked as we were in our spot from our training grounds.

"I told you, it was something really scary! I just ran when the guy looked at me!" I replied back to her and I flinched when I thought of it.

"That is too weird to say Samu. You chased that guy because you thought It was somebody right?" she crossed her arms.

"Yeah that's why I left the restaurant. I just thought…"

"You should at least let your best friends know first!" when she said that to me, I felt a little better. She considered them as my best friends.

"She's right." Chijin said out. I smiled at him, but it faded away when I thought of that guy again…

"Listen. When you came back to us you were scared so much that I had to slap you out of it, remember?" she said.

"I don't remember the slap… SO THAT'S WHY MY FACE HURTS!" I barely realized.

"Whatever you saw, it's not going to help us train for these stupid exams." She blurted. Something had to have been bothering her for a while. I wanted to know but I couldn't speak..

"After all, something is sure to come up and break what we know in love. Do you understand?" Chijin said aloud to us.

We looked at him.

"I don't get it…" both Dana and I didn't know what he meant. Chijin laid out a frown and seemed annoyed. He's always misunderstood.

"I just want you to try to ignore what you saw back there… so we could train Samu," Dana said to me.

I picked my head up, "But I'm just worried!"

"I'm worried too. I'm worried Kenshin won't come back.." she said and looked down.

That made me think a little: what if he doesn't come back at all? He's been really sketchy lately and hasn't really made contact with out training with us at all… it got me upset at that moment. I clenched my fist and thought about it.

What if she was right? What if he really doesn't come back? We don't have a sensei right now. Will that hurt us when we take the final exam? Speaking of this exam, it's just part of a stupid tournament, not more than to become Chunin. If only I had thought about that back then. Maybe I would have changed some things in my life later, but nevertheless, I couldn't do anything about it anyway.

I looked up at her and said, "We'll just have to go on about on our own from here on then.." I said that to them with a serious tone.

They looked at me as I said again, "We can't rely on him anymore. This is our time…"

I noticed Chijin shut his eyes and had his arms crossed the whole time, that way I knew he agreed with me.

Dana agreed too. After my little saying I had no choice but to count on myself and my two teammates without our sensei. I thought I had trusted him enough…

(I don't know anymore. If he does come back, I'll be glad to show him how I've improved on my own. How we've improved on our own.

I know I can do this on my own. I've been on enough missions and done as much as I could to fight on my own. Believe in me sensei… believe in me.

Believe in me Sakura! I know I can win this Chunin Exam!) – Samu

Then after our peppy talking and motivating each other, we ran to the training ground to train each other. We just did what we did. It felt nice, because I had confidence.

Then lurking in the shadows of the forest, there _he_ was. The hooded cloak covering his identity.

(Patience is a virtue of course…) - ?


	11. Finals!

**11: FINALS!**

So this is it. It's the finals for the Chunin Exams, and I get to be fighting a boy named Kankuro from the Hidden Sand Village. I don't know anything about this guy, only that I stood next to him and saw his appearance during the Preliminaries. I should be privileged to fight in this entire thing after all, but somehow I felt more nervous than anything ever.

Why did I feel like this? I only felt nervous. A little scared but that didn't mean I wasn't going to do my best. What was it that was bothering me the most? What was it?

It was my two teammates. They were going against each other. Dana Hyuga and Chijin Sonohoka. Both of them are my best friends and now they have to go against each other. They had to have known during the Preliminaries when they announced who would be fighting who in this exam.

When I was training by throwing kunei one day before the exam, I wondered how and if they knew about it. They had to have known. Then I wondered as I lowered my knife and saw the kunei at the bark of a tree pointed sharp. I wondered if they felt any different through all the time we spent during training, if they were feeling different when they would go against each other during the fighting training. I didn't know about it then. I barely noticed.

If it did change anything between them, why does it have to be at this time? This is supposed to be a time of friends of nations going against each other and competing for the sport and talent of a ninja. A shinobi… I just didn't want things to get personal if they fought each other with different beliefs or opinions on things. I didn't want conflict.

If personal feelings got in the way of it, then why fight? Why get caught up between doing what we're told to be doing, and not reflect on our feelings? I hate getting caught up on things and then It turns around and bites me in the ass.

I guess it was time to face it Samu, not everyone thinks alike.

I definitely learned that in some way. In some way.

…

"Hey you two," I said to them, we met up at the training ground again, "ready for tomorrow?" then I waved.

"Samu… it's been two days since the three of us have been together. I think I'm ready," she laid out a little smile to me.

(I just stayed in my room for two days. Thinking about things and keeping them to myself. Why is this STUPID feeling getting to me? It's _her!_) – Dana

"Yup, tomorrow is the big day. I wonder how it's going to turn out for us," Chijin said after.

I smiled at him and said softly, "I'm sure you two will do great. Please don't worry Chijin.." I told him.

Then I realized. This was it. Tomorrow was going to be the time where I have the confidence to show that I _could_ become a Chunin: to become a real ninja!

"Well I'm sure it'll be a heck of a show!" I told them, making both of them smile. That made me feel good after my thumbs up to them.

After that the three of us went around looking for our Leaf ninja friends we made. We only saw some of the kids we met during the Preliminaries, but I don't know most of them. Then after that was when we decided to go back to our hotel rooms and sleep for tomorrow. Resting was the priority.

I laid awake and held my pillow tight as I had my eyes open and staring out into the moonlight shine. Laying on my side was the best part of sleeping for me. Although I couldn't really sleep then, I just thought how tomorrow would be like. What we would see and who would do what. Only then did I think.

I eventually got sleepy and my eyes couldn't take it. I knocked out. The feeling of comfort on my mattress was enough for me to rest.

…

After I woke up I had extra money left for something to eat really quick before I got to the arena for the exam. I knew I had to be prepared. I was prepared. I had the confidence.

I got ready and locked the hotel room I left, and went outside. The hot sun blazing down on my black long-sleeve shirt. I tightened my headband a little more and did a little grin. Then I was off to get something to eat.

"Thanks for the soup sir!" a shop owner gave me a free bowl of soup to eat before the exams, somehow he knew I was going to be in them. I think it was his daughter that served me the bowl that knew me from the first part of the exams. I think so. It could have been, but I wandered off carrying the warm bowl.

I finished it eventually and ended up seeing the arena from a mass amount of distance. People were going in and paying to get in and showing their tickets while I just looked at them. Familiar faces, but most of them were others I've never seen before.

(The Land of Fire. Such good people…) – Samu

"Well if it isn't… Samu is it?" I heard the voice behind me. It didn't sound too familiar if I hadn't had known. I turned around.

"Hey, again…" she said to me. Her green eyes looked directly at me and then quickly at the ground she stood on. Her short pink hair was trimmed better now that she had time to fix it. It was Sakura Haruno. My crush…

"Oh! Sakura! What are… you doing here..?" I told her nervously as I blushed while looking at her.

"I'm just about showing up to see the finals. I was going to go in with some friends. Aren't you competing?" she told me.

"Yes… yes I am."

She noticed me as I looked at the ground smiling, "I cant wait to see your entire squad in there." it looked like she was thinking of something to say…

"Thank you! Really we can't wait to do it already."

"It's been so great meeting you three. New friends are… always great." she smiled.

I smiled back at her, "Yeah… yeah you're right! New friends…" I felt so happy at that moment. When she thought of us as friends. The outsiders: Dana, Chijin, and myself. As friends to her. I knew I felt it in my heart, that after those words, I knew something would become beautiful as "friends".

"Well Sakura! Looks like you moved on… that must mean Sasuke is mine!" a familiar voice came from behind her.

Sakura jumped to her voice, "WHAT?! Heck no! Sasuke is MINE and you know it!" Sakura blurted out after she gasped and turned to Ino, her long-time rival.

I felt a sudden drop of despair and a "let-down" of minor sadness. I let out a frown and my hopes suddenly dropped. Damn…

(Oh Sakura… for a minute there I thought you'd take a sudden like in me… This is supposed to be about me right now!) - Samu

"Well, I guess if you really want Sasuke, then I'm sure you'll really show it by cheering more than me for him…" Ino shut her eyes and said it with little care. Pointing out that Sakura wouldn't do as much as her. Sakura immediately gasped again and ran into the arena to take a seat before she mocked Ino.

I still couldn't believe that moment.

Ino turned to me and smiled, "You know, if you really want her, you might as well give up…" all in a calm voice.

I couldn't believe what I heard, "Wha?!"

"You three Sound ninjas… really aren't bad. See you out there," Ino said again and smiled.

(Wow… they really think I'm a good person. Not only me… but Dana and Chijin.. I actually feel a connection. Something I haven't felt in a long time…) - Samu

I felt good at that time. I just did. Then I had the confidence to enter the arena and prove myself. At least I think I would.

Moments passed, people entered the arena, they took their seats, contestants like me stood up in special rooms where they'd see the fights from a balcony-view. I felt the comfort of being with my two other teammates. By this time, excitement and anxious feeling flowed through the rough yet clean air throughout the arena. People from all over the surrounding nations came. Not like a HUGE and large amount, but enough that would be… I don't know. Anyways there was a lot of people.

The first round was Naruto Uzumaki: my friend that seems so friendly and full of spirit. He really showed his color in his fight. He went up a boy named Neji Hyuga, both of them from the Leaf. At first I thought hope was lost for Naruto since Neji kept knocking him back and forth every move Naruto made.

The things he said though… Naruto… his words he said to Neji. He said that destiny could change, and to not let it take over you. He never gave up. Just like he never did when he went up against Kiba back in the Preliminaries. He never gave up..

That's what made him win. Naruto won from never giving up. Just like what he did before.

"He never gives up…" voices said.

(Just like what Hinata Hyuga did in the Preliminaries. She never gave up. Like what Naruto did. That really… gets me. It's so pretty to think about.) - Samu

(Wow… he really did it. He was the underdog, that's for sure. Who knew Uzumaki could pull if off again!) - Dana

(Good job Naruto… you did it again.) - Sakura

The next fight was supposed to be with Sasuke Uchiha and Gaara, the guy from the Sand Village. I didn't really know either of them but I sure was impressed with what both of them from the Preliminaries. A little scary with what Gaara did… to that boy Rock Lee.

Due to his tardiness, Sasuke's fight with Gaara got held back and everyone had to wait until he showed up. The Hokage made sure that their fight was postponed until later. So the next two that would go up against was… let's see if I could remember.

I think it was Shikamaru's turn… or maybe it was…

(WAIT, ME!? IT'S MY TURN ALREADY?!) - Samu

It went directly into mine and I had totally forgot.

(It's directly into mine and I totally forgot! Why me?!) - Samu

"The next two that will be fighting is Samu Kotonaru and Kankuro," the referee said aloud to everyone. After their dispute about Sasuke's postponement, everyone thought it'd be alright to see our fight already. So I cleared my throat and grabbed the rail as I trembled a bit with nervous legs..

(No point in fighting now… no need for fighting.. Our plan is going to be ruined! Besides, I don't want to reveal my mechanized chrome puppet to the enemy, before our plan comes into fruition.) - Kankuro

"Proctor! I withdraw," Kankuro said aloud, I could hear Shikamaru and Naruto blurt out a questioning grunt as they turned their heads to him, as I stood next to them.

(HE WHATS?!) - Samu

I was in awe… a nervous sweat broke upon me.

"I withdraw so please, advance to the next match.." he shouted again to the proctor. Everyone heard his answer in the crowd, and argued about it…

(Oh my god I can't believe this is happening why does this happen to me this is insane I'm completely freaking out right now I am totally crying inside right now is this the real life?) - Samu

Besides the hundred thoughts going in my head with a crazy amount of run-on sentences, I felt a relieved sense of comfort after I heard Kankuro resign. It was kind of scary at the moment too.

"Due to Kankuro's withdrawal, Samu Kotonaru is the winner.." the proctor said aloud. I won!

(Oh my gosh I cant believe this…) - Samu

"What?! Samu got a ticket to win already? That other guy just decided to quit! Who in the right mind would do that?" Dana said aloud to Chijin. He just shrugged and looked at her with confusion.

I was still in awe.

Then I let out a sigh of relief.

"Shikamaru Nara, you're turn," the proctor then said aloud. The crowd still arguing about.

…

The next few moments got just even more calm than I thought it would be. Shikamaru really showed that girl from the Sand Village how tactics worked. He really is a smart guy to begin with. Not to mention he sure does know how to give up!

He totally gave up when he had the upper hand against her. When everyone thought he was going to win, he decided to give up.

Although he lost, he sure showed that cocky girl how to be embarrassed. Good show If you asked me.

"Wow. Shikamaru gave up just like that. And I thought he'd win in an instant!" Naruto said aloud. I turned to him and only thought about his match too.

Naruto really did pull it off. Speaking of which, it was almost about time for Sasuke's fight with Gaara. Boy was that a hell of a fight. I mean, the people spectating were practically excited and paid good money for this next match. The boy from the Leaf village and the other from the Sand.

But… it wasn't their time yet. There was still another match to go on. It was Dana's and Chijin's. it was their fight..

Dana was going against Chijin. They're from the same squad and now they got to go against each other. I don't think they even touched at least once when we would train by ourselves, and I'm in their team! I couldn't help but feel a little of discomfort and uneasy when I heard the proctor call out their names. I stood on the balcony place where the other contestants were and turned to my comrades. Both of them not smiling, not frowning, not even looking at each other: they just looked at their feet. Both of them.

They knew what would happen. Both of them did. Who would win this fight.. "The two Sound ninja in the same team" that's what others would say. Until this day people of the Hidden Leaf will talk about it. Talk about those two kids and their fight.

And man was it… shocking to see who had the upper hand in all. I know these two kids my whole life and I don't think anyone else knew how good they were, no definitely not! I totally knew what they were going up against each other. I'd say… Dana and Chijin are the best in combat in our team. While I'm just the other guy.

I'd laugh about that when I saw them go against each other. But I didn't laugh. My jaw stayed dropped as I saw them fight. On that very ground…

…

Dancing Leaf, Squirming Sand!

"Lord Hokage wants to wait ten more minutes," a proctor said to the other. There was sure stalling that went about during the final fight. They even pushed back another match so Sasuke's arrival would turn. Since I didn't get to compete and won automatically then his fight would push even further.

It didn't get long before people started shouting and arguing about the delay after delay. I guess if people didn't get what they wanted then things might have turned ugly. That must be why they stalled it so long. But oh did Sasuke show up just in time. Right before the proctor was about to forfeit him, he showed up with his sensei. In a cool way I cant describe..

In an exhilarating way, the fight was fast and intense. It's like you didn't know what was going to happen next right after every strike. Sasuke went after Gaara with blow after another. Punching and kicking to Gaara only made him have less defense. Sasuke had such speed that went against him just like Rock Lee had did at the Preliminaries.

Just when Sasuke had the upper hand, Naruto started shouting to his sensei that Gaara was a different shinobi than the rest of us, and that Sasuke will die if he kept fighting. He really told his sensei and Sakura what he felt in his heart. Somehow… he knew what Gaara was up to.

Meanwhile in the midst of the forest, not too far outside of the arena, Anbu Black Ops men dashed forward somewhere going to a location in a hurry. Almost as if something was wrong already, or something was going to be wrong… their thoughts were scurry and trembled with worry. Right when the last Black Op man dashed to their location, soldiers in different armor from another Land was hiding behind bushes and trees, waiting to follow an order from their captain.

There was a captain that suddenly ordered the men behind him to be prepared. Almost as if they were about to strike something… what could they have been up to?

The captain crouched behind a bush and saw the Black Op member dash out of his sight. After that he raised his right arm and made his hand form into a flat wave up to where his head was, making his men order to stand by. As a moment passes he then turns his hand into a slanted figure, turning it, and gave that order to move forward. Who were these men..?

"How are things preparing?"

"Everything is according from your order sir.."

"Good. Make sure the time is right for 'him' to deploy. I'll leave you to it then," the captain said to the others.

Everyone saw it! I even couldn't believe it for myself! Sasuke Uchiha had a new technique that I'm sure nobody had seen or heard before! He had done the "Chidori: One Thousand Birds".

"Also known as Lightning Blade, it got that name because Kakashi used it to cut a lighting bolt in half. Requiring almost impossible chakra and precision. A technique not used to be taught lightly.." Guy sensei explained.

Everyone heard, including myself and Naruto. Making him flinch a little. Sasuke jabbed Gaara's sphere of sand, but then he countered it with an enormous arm-like thing made of sand! Sasuke Uchiha's Sharingan couldn't bare to tell what kind of jutsu or technique Gaara had done. But it made him go back and flinch. Then they stood there as everyone in the arena watched… in awe.

The man with a cloak over his head and had an Anbu mask over him was in the audience crouched and did a hand-sign for himself. I noticed it. I couldn't help but become curious.

"What's that guy doing over there?" I asked Shikamaru. He looked at the guy crouched behind people that were sitting and watching the match. We were at the very top of the seats.

All I saw was him doing that same hand sign. Then I started to feel really woozy and my eyes kept rolling down and making me want to close my eyes completely. I felt a sudden urge of going to sleep all of a sudden. I hadn't realized how strange it would be because of how sleepy I was! Everyone around me felt the same thing, and that's when I felt it.

I looked at Shikamaru fall on his back and knock out, that's when I fell on my knees and had a face to the floor. Out cold.

…

That's when I found out that the Hidden Leaf Village was under attack. The time when I woke up. Sakura woke me up. All she did was tap my neck and my eyes suddenly jolted wide open with a gasp from my mouth. I was already sweating. The first thing I saw was her so pretty face looking down on me, from upside down. I blushed immediately.

"What… is going on..?" I asked as I got up and rubbed my neck, my face still blushing from Sakura.

"I needed to wake you up.. Because our village is-" as she tried to explain a big cloud of smoke erupted and shook our bodies around. The shock of the small explosion made me more confused and Sakura scared.

"Where, are you? Sakura?" I called out to her in the midst of the smoke, I barely saw my own two hands as I stood up and got suspicious..

"GET DOWN!" a voice shouted and I ducked as quickly as I could, I could hear a kunei hit a wall near me and fall next to me on the floor.

(I almost got hit…) - Samu

The smoke cleared and I was on the floor still, I heard a Jonin's voice speak. "I'll explain the mission quickly! First track down Sasuke and find a safe location!" he stood in front of us with a kunei in his hand.

Before I heard Naruto speak aloud I saw the ninja that were fighting in front of us.. They had Sound armor and clothing from our Sound Village. Grey and black as always. That's the kind the military wore around there, I knew it as soon as I saw it.

(No… why are they fighting Leaf ninja? What is going on?) - Samu

"I told you I'll explain on our way Naruto, come on," she pulled Naruto with her out of a small hole that allowed an entrance. I sat with Shikamaru with a confused face.

"Come on you," a small puppy bit him and made him run out through the hole! Talk about confusion.

(What the heck is going on? Will somebody tell me please?

Wait… where's Dana and…) - Samu

"Oh no! My…" I couldn't speak for a moment. I looked around me carefully and saw the Leaf ninja fighting against the Sound shinobi. I didn't want to fight or get involved, so I got out of the arena.

(That boy is from the Sound Village as well. But he didn't seem to know what was going on here. doesn't make sense…) - Kakashi sensei {Naruto's sensei}

I ran across a road and saw deserted paths all along as I ran further and further down to the hotel where we stayed at. The ground shook as I tried to jolt faster over there but I didn't know what was making the ground shake like that. I busted open the front door of the hotel to find it abandoned in the lobby and headed down the hallway where our rooms were.

"Dana?! Chijin are you there?" I called to them from our rooms but nobody answered the door as I stood outside the hallway. I spent about ten minutes calling for them.

It seemed like they weren't there. As I went back to the lobby to think about where they were, I started coughing blood near the reception desk and held my stomach with both my hands. I leaned on the desk and just couldn't stop coughing up… it hurt so bad for me. I shook it off and went back outside.

Then I got a good look at the village from the outside. Smoke was casting up to the sky from afar and a few bodies lied around the path I walked to get to the hotel. I was in utter shock from the sight. The sweat and nervous look came back to me…

(Oh I wish somebody would tell me what the heck is going on here… I'm getting frightened now..

Brother… I need you more than ever right now..! I wish you were here to help me!) - Samu


	12. He Returns

**12: HE RETURNS**

I didn't know it would come to this. I've never experienced this kind of fear before, not since my brother and I were exposed to the domestic violence that enthralled between my parents. Not since when I left my brother with them and had to live on the streets for two entire days. A little boy at the age of six living on the dirt road and sleeping in an alleyway for two nights. Then my brother took care of me the rest of my years as an academy student. Now as a Genin, he's still my older brother. Tanahu. I love you…

The fear I dread to this day is what happened to the Leaf Village during the Chunin Exams. I cried a little from the fear of dying while I left the hotel and started searching and calling out for Dana and Chijin around the town. I saw Sound ninja attack Leaf peers, and the two fought at my very eyes.

I didn't know who to fight for. Normally I wouldn't hesitate, but I would fight for my ally. But it seems that both factions… were my ally. The soldiers who protected the village I was born and raised in, and the new friends that treated me so well and who I saw were good people. Sound and Leaf. Who to fight for..?

A giant snake hissed over buildings while recovering from small explosions and kunei being thrown at it, made me cower and flee into a restaurant where I saw owners of the shop crouched and afraid behind a counter. My sweat dripped down my face as I looked at the three.

They shook and were scared to see the headband I had worn. They seemed to know who attacked them before I came. They knew I was a Sound ninja because of the headband I wore. They were afraid because my own people were attacking their home. These innocent people feared me for a moment. The old man shut his eyes and covered his daughter's ears like something was going to happen. I didn't speak. I only saw the fear they showed..

I ran across the hallway and noticed the table where Dana, Chijin and I sat a few weeks ago when we were still training. We stopped to eat but I remember I chased a suspicious man into the forest. I thought maybe if I could find my friends, then I could go see if that hooded man was in the forest again! It really wasn't something I thought of planned out, but it had to be something I could do!

Find my friends! Only then was I thinking. Thinking of something about the village I grew up in.

"You!" I shout to the girl beside a window I couldn't just catch right, her blind spot was in the open leaving her open for death. I shouted to her just in time enough for her to crouch down and put her hands over her head and left the window next to her explode with glass inward.

The glass hit her head and hands put protected her. The other small windows near it busted out as well, making me vulnerable to it. I noticed it and shut my eyes while covering my face with both my arms from the one sided part of the windows. Wind blew as soon as the glass came out, making a gust of wind spew out from the opening. "Stay down!" I shout again to her while the wind kept blowing, I could hear her weeping whilst she crouched.

I then got down under the table until the wind stopped blowing and glass didn't fall anymore. I then heard screams and shouting from the outside and inside of the restaurant. I got out from under the table and looked from both hallways left and right. Then I saw the girl look up and put her hands down, scared with tears from her eyes. I go up to her.

"Are you alright?" I ask her lending her my hand to pull her up. It was Hinata Hyuga.

"Yes… my hands…" she sounded very scared in her voice and her hands, trembled from the blood coming out from it. She let out a little gasp and started to cry again.

"Don't cry Hinata, please.. Let's get you some first aid quickly!" I held her wrists trying to help her, but she suddenly started to cry out for help, and backed her hands away from my grasp. She was afraid of me with the way she stood back two steps.

She must have seen the ninja that are attacking the village. She must have seen… my headband still on my forehead with the Sound logo. That was when I removed it from my forehead and stared at it for a moment, shut my eyes and stuffed it into my right pocket.

I look to her, "Look I'm not going to hurt you. I promise. You need some bandages quickly, I need to help you Hinata.." she looks at me without tears anymore. Her mouth is in a frown, her hands are covering her chest.

"You got to let me help you… I promise I will not hurt you.." I tell her again. Silence…

It looked like she was about to say something, until more shouting erupted from across the hallway and it scared me. I look back at Hinata, "We need to go, now.."

She looked at her feet, and nodded to me with a frown still on her face, "Okay…" then we left through the kitchen and out the back door. Hinata's hands are under her armpits, revealing her jacket's zipper is unzipped. She has little blood on her chest. Under her jacket is a laced shirt and underneath that was her bra that was showing as well. That's why she covered her chest at first back there. But more importantly she was bleeding. That was the priority. Help.

(Now where are we going to find help at this time? I think the only ninja that are around here will be fighting!

We cant risk getting into a fight right now… I don't know if I can protect her with all I got..

Wait a second!) - Samu

I turn to Hinata, "Take off your headband.."

"But… why?"

"So Sound ninja won't know you're an enemy ninja too," I look at her with serious eyes.

"But you're…"

"I know it wouldn't matter right now… but at least they will hesitate at trying to kill the ninja first, and not the civilians. We need to look like civilians first.." I tell her. I know it wasn't really going to help, but I needed a reassuring plan for the moment.

She looked to the ground and I went to the back of her and untied it from her neck, when suddenly…

I turn around quickly, "Kunei!" I dropped Hinata with me to the ground making her scream a little. I hear the knife hit the dirt.

"Oh man… I see ninja, quick get up Hinata!" I pick her up along with me and we take off. She drops her headband near the kunei… on the dirt outside.

I'm holding her with my right arm around her waist and my other hand on her shoulder making us run for it. That's all I could think of doing. Running away. Kind of reminds me of something else I did back then. How foolish of me…

"Hinata go into those bushes!" I push her and she lets out a little scream while she fell in the soft leaves. Then I turn around hoping to face the enemy. Nobody was there..

I already had a couple of shuriken ready on my fingertips with another fist clenched for a blow, when suddenly a dash of wind blew on my left side. I turn my eyes and see that same cloaked man from weeks ago… back in the forest.

He punched my ribs from the side and I let out a grunt of pain and coughed over again. That didn't stop me though, I grabbed his left wrist which he punched me with and twirled around him, with my feet on his back. I then bashed my right clenched fist on the side of his head, making me feel his ear as I hit him once. I fell on my back and grabbed my ribs and right hand from the hurtful hit. I opened my eyes from laying on the ground and see the man with the hood and cape, rubbing his ear and head.

He spoke, "That was really… quick.." It made me angry when he said it..

"The way you struck me after I hit you, a good counter attack.. Plus it hurt very much the way you hit me."

I then got up on my feet and picked up one of the shuriken on the ground I dropped. I had the one on my index finger and readied it.

"Who… are you?" I ask him with a mean face.

He turns around, I still can't see his face from the hood and hair covering him. "I'm not a friend."

"Then leave me alone… I'm neither a friend."

"I can't leave you alone. EVER." the look in his eye after he said it to me… made me think.

(Is that..? Could that be..?) - Samu

A paper bomb suddenly went to the man and ignited with smoke, covering him and making him invisible for a moment. The smoke surrounded him and I and I jumped a little and didn't lose my guard. But where did that bomb come from?

I felt two hands grab my shoulders from behind me and pull me backward. I let out a little grunt and tried to break free but I couldn't… it felt like I lost the fight. Like I was going to lose my life. I thought about Hinata. If she was safe or not… I thought about Tanahu, my brother. I felt the ground and dirt rubbing against my back and rumbling my feet over and over as I saw trees and bushes around me. Then the person's hands let go of me and I remained on the ground. Looking at the sky. Filled with smoke.

I get up once more and find the shuriken in my index finger gone. I look around me and see nothing but trees and grass.

"Where are you man?" I call out to the hooded man.

"Shut up Samu!" a female's voice came out from hidden behind me, from a bush afar.

"What?! Who's the-" before I finished…

"Samu be quiet please..! Nobody can see us right now.." Dana said to me in my face! We hid behind a bush in the forest.

"Dana!" I whispered, "How'd you find me?"

"I happened to find you while I was looking for you and Chijin during this entire thing. This is all crazy.." she said to me.

"You said it!"

"Shh! Whisper!"

(She really looked for me… for our team..) - Samu

"But… what about that hooded guy? Did you see him?" I asked.

"Yeah I saw him. He looked scary, and I saw you looking like you were fighting. But felt happy to finally find you around."

"Yeah. It was the guy I talked about before remember? It was a few weeks ago when I told you about some hooded guy.."

She remembered. Then the both of us tried to explain what was going on in the village. I told her exactly what I thought was going on.

"You think Sound ninja are attacking this place?" she asked me.

"Yes definitely! I even saw Leaf ninja dead on the ground with other Sound soldiers from our village! I swear to you!" I told her, then realized, "Wait, you mean you didn't see any fighting going on?"

She looked at me again, "I woke up in my hotel room right after seeing Sasuke and Gaara fighting in the arena. It was so… weird. It didn't make sense waking up on my bed after the only thing I remembered was being in that arena.."

"That is… very odd Dana.." I told her from her response. It seemed like it didn't make sense that was sure.

Then I thought and said, "What about Chijin?"

She only looked at me then the ground she crouched on. She looked a little sad..

"Dana..? are you still..?" then I immediately thought of Hinata…

(HOLY CRAP!) - Samu

"I forgot about Hinata…" my voice then suddenly dropped and was filled with fear.

"Samu.. You sound terrified.. Who is that?"

"It's one of our friends..! I saw her on my way out of the village and had to find help for her. She was hurt…"

"Isn't she… from here? The Leaf village?"

"Yes remember? Oh man I cant believe I left her in that bush when I got carried off… god knows what happened.."

"I'm sorry… I didn't see her when I pulled you out of that fight.."

I laid on the ground and looked up at the sky again. I saw dark clouds go about.

"Isn't that… Hyuga? Hinata Hyuga?" she asked me.

"Yes that's the girl… why? You met her.." I told her.

"Oh… I've been meaning to ask her. Where she was from. Or where her family is from.."

"Oh Dana… don't say that she's…"

"No, I've just been wondering since both of us have the same last name. I'm just wondering since I met her.." she replied.

She made it seem like Hinata isn't alive right now. I got up on my feet and went through the bush we were hiding from and looked back at her.

"Samu what are you doing?"

"Well you can ask her yourself," she looked at me, "because I know she's alive!" I told her.

…

(She has to be alive I'm certain of it! Even though it took a lot of me to tell Dana to come with me to look for her, we have to make sure she's safe!) - Samu

"Wait Samu.." she stopped and called me while we were running back to the village.

"What is it?" I stopped too in front of her and looked back.

"She's from the Leaf Village… just saying."

"Yeah I know that! Now come on we have to-"

"But… we're from the Sound Village. We should find out why our people have come to attack." she replied.

"You're right. There has to be an explanation. This village is going down, and we didn't even know about it. We got put under that Genjutsu right under our noses!"

"This Hyuga girl… maybe she has an answer for us.."

"I don't know about that, but we have to return her to Naruto…" I said softly.

"What?" she asked like she didn't hear me.

"Oh, nothing! Come on we have to go," I said back and started running.

"SNAKE!" a loud yell echoed from afar and we heard it as soon as we got out of the forest and back into the village. Dana and I were in awe.

"What the heck is it now?" she asked.

"Whatever is going on it really is serious.. I mean it was from the start but now it's all out destruction!" I replied.

"..help me…" a soft voice came from behind us. Dana quickly turned around with a kunei in her hand and I turned around too to find Hinata… in the same bush but… lying down and her shirt is.. Open.

"Hinata! There you are…" I said to her with relief, then I noticed her laced shirt was open revealing her bra. It seemed she was still in pain from her two hands that bled.

I blushed, then opened my mouth from nervousness. I was scared for her again..

"Dana…" I said to her nervously.

"I know, it'll be okay.." she said to Hinata. "Come on now, it'll be alright just hold on."

She tore a piece of her long sleeve and tightened the part of her hands with the sleeves wrapped around. "There has to be pressure for you to be okay," she turned to me now, "and Samu… would you mind lending her your shirt?"

"I well… yes of course!" I thought about what the situation was, and of course I was willing to help. Dana seemed really serious at the moment and she didn't want anything to interfere of course I knew that.

I took off my long sleeve shirt and gave it to them. Dana helped Hinata put it on, and she tightened the wrapped sleeves again for her. Hinata let out a sigh..

"Oh… I cant thank you two enough.." she said to us still laying down.

"It's alright really.. You need to rest. But right here isn't gonna work. Let's move out Samu," Dana said to me.

"Right!" I said to her, shirtless. Then all of a sudden a large toad appeared on top of the giant snake that was far away into where the village was. We looked at it in shock and saw… a man on top of the toad! Why did a toad all of a sudden pop up?

(Why did a toad pop up? What the heck is really going on here?) - Samu

"Oh no..!" Hinata then said looking out on her right, making us turn to her direction.

There he was again. The hooded man stood still rubbing his head. "Looks like you're back. Things are going according to plan then.."

"Okay who the heck are you and why do you keep following us? Answer now!" Dana then shouted to him.

His deep voice sounded familiar, "You really don't have a clue. Figures… they ordered not to tell you, don't you see?"

(What is he talking about?) - Samu

"The lords of the Sound Village didn't want you three specific Genin to know about the attack on Konoha… specifically for you three. There is a real reason on it you know."

"But… how could they..? It doesn't make sense why wouldn't they want us to know, why us?" I questioned. He started to lift his arms, Dana took a kunei out.

"Simple…" he revealed his hood, revealing his face and said, "because you three are TRAITORS." Kenshin sensei said.

…

"Kenshin sensei?!" I shouted with shock to him! I couldn't believe it.

"What the..? What are you doing?!" Dana said to him as well right after me.

"I deliberately didn't want you three to know any of it. I was the one who told the three lords to not let you three know. Chijin, Samu, and you Dana. my 'Team Sound'."

His dark eyes and blackened hair shined.

Dana and I were in awe and complete utter silence. I knew she was as nervous as I was..

"Traitors… that's what they called you. The lords of our village called you traitors. Why? Because of your personal lives back at our so called 'home'. they knew all about Samu's family and what they had done.." he said to us. I heard what he said about me and my family and it made me angry..

"Nobody knows anything about my family! You stop this!" I shouted him with anger. Dana looked at me with her mouth open in shock..

"..and Chijin, with his 'condescending attitude towards everyone'.." he replied.

"Kenshin, why is this happening? Why are YOU doing this?" I questioned.

"..and let's not forget about Dana Hyuga. The female who has a secret nobody knows about. Who has a past that nobody dares to discover.." he had that 'look' in his eyes again! It scared me once more! Dana then got scared too but..

"You shut up! How could you know anything about me?" Dana shouted, "You know, I never even liked having you as a sensei you know that? I did it for Team Sound for my pupils, Chijin and Samu. My close friends!"

"All for the right reasons. Very good Dana.." he looked at her after that. Dana flinched a little.

"Why are you doing this..?" she asked. Getting angrier, and I turned to Kenshin sensei.

"Because I'm trying to protect you.." he finally tells us! But could it be true, or lies?

(Protect us? What does that mean? how and why?) - Samu

"I was the one who trained you three. Excellent shinobi you came out to be. Just as I wanted.."

"Kenshin sensei.. Please explain to me… why you are helping kill these people.." I started saying, crying. Letting my tears go to the ground as I looked at the ground.

He let out a sigh. Then a pause.. "I trained you three to become ninja. Mission after mission it went on and on. You three proved to do good as a team, and with the Chunin Exams: perfect. Individually you three even did very well. I had a feeling you'd be as good as you are now as Genin, even when they assigned me to be your sensei. But the lords of our village thought of you three as traitors because of your PAST. It sounds horrible, I know. I didn't want you three to know anything about this day.. They made sure of it. So because this little secret went on, I had to be away during the Chunin Exams to make sure the village knew about you three, and our military had to be prepared as well. The shinobi from the Sand Village joined in on the frontier with our Sound, and the attack happened. But looking back, I remembered how I felt-"

"How could you?!" I shouted to him, tears coming out from my eyes, veins showing from my neck. Kenshin seemed alarmed.

"You say you obeyed orders and you held a secret against us because of those old jerks back home! While we held a little relationship with our trainer, our teacher! doesn't that mean something to you?" I shouted again to him..

There was a pause. Dana looked at me, putting her kunei back into her satchel.

"..but I couldn't help but…" he takes steps close to us. He gets closer and Dana flinches and pulls out a kunei again, Hinata holds her hands together and is scared, while I… have my head down until I heard his voice right next to me.

"..fell like my own three children."

My eyes look into his, tears drop down from my face onto my chin and fall on the ground. I gagged from the sad and tearful cries of my own. Dana looked into his eyes and felt scared than ever..

(What… he really… feels that.. That's why he always…) - Dana

He comes to me, he raises his hand and picks my chin up to look at him, "Like my own children.."

I hugged him after that. Dana saw the expression on his face. It was a small smile. He looked at her and smiled too. I couldn't cope with the feelings he had, and what kind of desire I hoped to have for him. I realized that he didn't have a family. He never has to this day.

To this day, Kenshin sensei had a lonely and sorrow life to fall to a cursed living under Orochimaru, the evil ninja from the Leaf Village. Orochimaru… I'll remember that name to this day.

…

"Don't follow my footsteps. don't follow me. Stay where you're happy, but don't go back to the Sound Village. It's no longer your home.." he says to us, we are not pleased what he says.

"What? After what you told us, why don't you treat us like family and be with us?!" Dana shouted to him in his face, she reached up to him because he's so tall.

"Why don't you Kenshin sensei..?" I ask.

"There's something I have to abide to… something I have to follow on my own."

"But..! It doesn't have to be that way!"

"It's inferior than anything you've ever dealt with… than I've ever dealt with. If you go back home then you will be exiled. Kicked out from home."

"No.. it's not like this!" Dana shouted, she turned around and had to look away.

"If you follow what I do… it's only darkness.." he says to us. I tilt my head and look down. Then I take a few steps back like Dana.

"What do you mean stay where we're happy..?" I ask him.

"I mean, really stay where you are happy. If you feel happy living in this Leaf Village, then so be it. Of course they will accept you. Trust your teacher on this.." his cloak showed his wise words. His cape flowed with the wind that blew from behind me.

The tears fell down and touched my chest a little. I still look at the ground.

"What I say about the people who look down on you back home, don't listen to them. Your lives are incomplete without your past. Do what you must to find what your past meant. Isn't that what we all must do someday? Samu..?" he calls to me.

Kunei lunged out from the side of us, and aimed for us. They were too quick for me to notice and dodge, but I caught it from the corner of my eye. But when I caught it from my eye, I gave the knife a stare and made it clash and cling to make it fall somehow. Something caught in my eye and anger filled me, which made the kunei suddenly stop and cling to the ground whilst it was in the air.

I stopped a kunei from coming at me for the first time. I remember it. Oh do I remember it..

Kenshin sensei noticed it immediately. He saw it all.

(What..? Could he have..? How did he do that? Wait, enemies!) - Kenshin

He turned to where the kunei came from and readied for battle. Three Leaf ninja came for us and jumped while one ran for Kenshin. I shut my eye back and fell on my knees with my eyes shut.

"Samu! Get up, look out!" Dana shouted to alert me, her Byakugan was in use from her eyes.

The first ninja that went for Kenshin lunged with a fist, but sensei countered with a strike to the chest and kicked him away. He turned to me and was too late..

"STOP!" Hinata came out from the bushes and stopped the ninja from her shout! As she did, Kenshin sensei blocked both of the ninja's attacks for me, making them stop. He held their wrists and started to hurt them.

"Please… don't hurt them senpai's…" Hinata says with courage..

The Leaf ninja look at each other.. "What? Aren't these the enemy?"

"No senpai…" Kenshin said aloud, "THESE two Genin, are your ally.."

…

The two Leaf ninja backed off as Kenshin released their clench. "Sensei…" I said to him with watery eyes.

A large explosion occurred from afar behind us, and a demon-like roar was right after it. It got the attention of the Leaf ninja.

"Oh no! something is happening again?" one of them said, making the other run into the village. The other one followed after giving Kenshin sensei a mean look.

They ran off.

Kenshin sensei looks at us… his brown eyes went with his short black hair. Then he shut his eyes and looked down at dissapointment. Could it be from us?

"You three. Samu, Dana, and Chijin: have nothing to fear from the Leaf Village."

"Kenshin… you defended us.." Dana said aloud.

Then he turned away and walked away from us. Just like that, he started drifting.

"Wait, where are you going?

"The mission that was supposed to happen failed just now. It was the Sand Village's Gaara. His spirit is released and expelled the mission.." he explained as he walked away.

"Wait you can't just.."

"Don't worry. I'm still your sensei. I always will be.." he turned around and waved to us with a smile.

"Kenshin…" I called to him, "before you go…" I hesitated.. "I want you to know that I will come to you.."

He looks at me and stops smiling.

"..and I will break the darkness out of you. Just you wait!"

That was the last thing I said to him.

Right before he suddenly teleports out of the area, he smiles.

I look at Dana and Hinata, and the three of us look up at the sky, and notice those grey clouds are gone.


	13. Progress

**Progress**

**Author's Note: In case any of you have noticed by now, there have been sentences or paragraphs that are in parenthesis. That just means what a character is thinking. I hope that helps, enjoy!**

All those weeks and days I've trained with him, my master, they've all felt like I was training with a friend I felt like I've known all my life. Of course I wouldn't have known he would turn up to be against us all along. I kind of feel like my own village, the place I grown up to be and be with family betrayed myself and two of my closest friends. It doesn't feel right. Have you ever felt like this before?

Trying to relate to others is hard when it comes to personal things. With what I'm dealing with right now I can't seem to find a stranger or friend that understands fully or has gone through with it too. It feels kind of pointless. No, it does. Trying to get it through my head was hard for the three of us. At least for me it was.

Dana showed little signs of it. From sadness to random explosions of complaints and being angry. I wonder why she did this so often. Not often but to a point where it would act like a routine. Kind of like it would happen over and over during a specific time. I just can't figure it out too well. Oh well, girls will be girls..

Days have been going by, things happened here and there. Our friends Naruto and Sasuke took off somewhere I don't know not a while ago, and the village is just about finished from the reconstruction. The demolition from the attack was sure enough overdone and coming to the point of "why even live here?" I noticed that from some people. Anyways, Dana and I are spending more time with each other. Other than being good friends with each other, I feel like I'm there for a friend in need. I think she's been doing the same thing for me too, otherwise she's just been using me to get free meals from me.

One day when she and I were walking around town we saw Hinata Hyuga walking alone, kind of in a hurry to somewhere. Of course I didn't notice it, but Dana sure did. I wondered if she was thinking of Naruto in any way now that he went off somewhere with Sasuke or something. We confronted Hinata waiting on a bridge that I've seen before, that I've felt like it was familiar in some way…

"Hinata Hyuga. What are you up to?" Dana asked with a little grin showing she was joking. Hinata jumped a little from the surprise.

"Oh! I'm just walking around, thinking about some things…" she made a nervous laugh.

"Kind of weird of you walking around by yourself at a random time. 'Thinking of things'?" Dana replied with her arms crossed.

"Well I uh…"

"Hey have you seen Naruto around lately?" I butted in, I asked that because I thought maybe Hinata would know or not.

"Yes actually…"

"Wait you _have_ seen him?" I hesitated, "Where is he?"

"No I mean, the last time I talked to him was last week on a Sunday, on this very bridge…"

"Oh I thought you saw him recently. Alright then," I was testing her devotion if you haven't noticed. Since the beginning of this story I always thought how Hinata thinks of Naruto in some way because of the way she would act and behave around him. Kind of silly to think that I know.

"So what's driven you here again?" Dana asked.

"Well I just wanted to visit this bridge again…"

"So that's it? You mustn't have just come here just to stand on or lean on the rails here.." Dana persisted.

"Well no… but-"

"Come on Dana don't you see that-" before I finished:

"Okay… I came here for Naruto.." she spoke aloud, I turned from Dana to her.

Dana raised an eyebrow, "Okay..?"

"It's because he and I met here before he left with master Jiraya and we just talked.."

We seemed concerned. The wind blew and little bits of pretty pink flowers drifted with the wind as she spoke. We stood on the bridge.

"I just told him that I wanted him to be careful wherever he was going, whatever he was doing. I just wanted him to be safe…"

"_Hinata… I promise I'll be okay and then good things will happen all over again, just you wait!"_

"_Oh Naruto… I'm going to miss you so much.."_

"_I promise I won't be away too long, I'll get back as soon as I can…"_

_Then he kissed me… our first kiss._

"…and that's what happened. I just told him I was going to miss him, that's all.." she said again. I knew something would happen between them…

"So what did you do after he told you that?" Dana asked.

Hinata picked her head up from the floor she stood on and looked side to side in suspicion and blushed cheeks. It kind of looked like her Byakugan was activated for a moment.

"Oh! Um, nothing really! I just waved goodbye after that, that's all we did, yeah that's about it…" she said nervously and took a couple of steps back..

"..Are you sure about that?" Dana asked softly.

"Yes!" Hinata yelled aloud to us, blowing both Dana and my hair back as we tilted back from the yell, our eyes widened and revealing our foreheads. The yell was quick but strong. She really must have been nervous…

(Wow, I haven't heard something like that since I first met Chijin back in the Sound Village…) – Samu

(Didn't know she had it in her…) – Dana

Then I fell backward and shut my eyes.

"Oh my goodness I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to yell I just…" she apologized.

"No it's fine really," Dana chuckled and smiled at her as she fixed her hair back to her wavy look. "You really are something else Hinata.."

"Huh?" she looked up at Dana.

"I'm really glad I met you. You're kind of full of little surprises, that's for sure."

Hinata just looked at Dana. She's just a little taller than Hinata so she looked down on her.

Then out of random, "You know we have the same last names.." Dana said to her.

"We… do?"

"Yeah, I'm sure you've known by now but we have Hyuga in our last name."

"Yeah you're right."

"And our eye patterns are the same too…"

"Yeah that too.." Hinata said.

"…I don't know why but every time I look at you, you remind me of someone… sorry that's random, I just need to say." Dana replied.

"Oh it's okay. Who do I remind you of..?"

"Of someone like a relative… sorry."

(What could she be saying to me? Doesn't she know that she and I are…) – Hinata

"Are there more of the Hyuga people here in this village?"

"Yes, there's an entire clan around here in the Leaf."

Dana didn't look surprised.

"..but I was born in the Sound Village…" she said to herself.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just wondering something…"

"Well what is it?" Hinata persisted.

"Could you and I be related somehow? I mean we have the same eyes and last name, plus our physical features match your cousin Neji's and mine… we even have the same fighting style." Dana got even more serious.

"Oh my… well I don't really know.."

Dana chuckled, "This thought just bugged me for quite some time. I thought maybe now would be the time to tell you anyway.."

"It's alright really, thank you for sharing this.."

Dana stayed quiet.

"Um… if you really want to know, you could meet some of the Hyuga members and… find someone who could tell you the truth." Hinata suggested with a little smile to cheer up Dana.

Dana smiled and looked like she was going to cry a little.

(You really are something. Like a little sister to me: Hinata Hyuga. A sister I've never _had_.) – Dana

Then Dana said something to her I didn't hear. It was up to her ear when she said it. Even until now I don't know what she said to her, but I think what she said changed Hinata a little.

And I think that's a really good thing.

…

So the days just go by and by. Nothing to think about, nothing to say anymore. Just live life.

That's what I've been trying to do. Live life. Nothing would stop me. Well except Kenshin and his ways, but that's what's making me strive for more. For more answers and all.

I picked myself up from laying on the floor of the bridge and saw the small stream that went under my feet. The stone ground made it clear that this bridge was pretty old.

I shut my eyes and just heard the background. Water flowing below me and wind brushing against leaves from trees nearby, along with distant chatter from people not too far. It seemed peaceful after what happened here in the village. I'm grateful that I'm still alive.

Before I even opened my eyes to see, a giant push of force went against my back and I fell forward from leaning on the rail on the bridge. The second I noticed I was falling forward my hands tried to grab on to anything, but it was no use. I let out a little gasp before I fell on my face into the shallow water. Completely knocked out. I could feel the small rocks and ugly moss from them, but the cold water from the stream kept swiping my face. If you were there, you could see my body lying there from the stream, not moving a muscle. Blood streamed and followed the water down from the top of my head. I was completely knocked out. I lied there in the shallow water. The person behind me: I didn't know who it was.

But I found out eventually. When he startled me and revealed the bag covering my face.

…

I had a feeling this would happen, the day when I finally get to find out who I descended from. Where my place belonged. Fate brought me to the place of the Hyuga Clan: the people of the Gentle Fist Taigutsu.

I wish I had known before that these people would be hard to find, because I searched everywhere. Seriously I had to go from store to store: restaurant to restaurant, even hopping on buildings just to find where most of them lived. So I kept searching.

Eventually I stopped after sweating a little outside near some ramen noodle shop. Then this guy just talks to me without me even making eye contact from behind me, I think I've seen him before… I just don't know where.

"So… you're Dana from the Hyuga Clan: from the Sound Village?" the guy with the mask covering his nose and mouth said. He had white hair that stood up, along with his hunched back leaning against some wall.

"Yeah… who are you?" I asked in suspicion. I didn't like the way this guy approached me.

"Oh I'm just a friend trying to say hello to a new ninja from the outside." He replied.

I looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Come on I'm not that bad…" he said sarcastically.

"Sure."

"So what are you doing In such a rush, hmm?" he asked.

"I'm looking for some people. So they could help me figure out a couple of things…"

"Well if you want information I could help you. Why don't you ask away?" he persisted.

I tried to figure out what he was trying to do or say but he kept going on about how much he wanted to help me. I think he wanted me to tell him on my own.

"Stop trying to crack me. I'm not going to tell you anything, stranger," I said wittingly while interrupting him.

"Oh. Sorry I didn't mean to ramble on about. Just making friendly conversation that's all."

"Yeah, I'm not going to tell you. I just want to find people that need to give me some answers that's all.." I said to him.

(What is she really thinking of doing? Very odd for a Genin to be on about this sort of thing…

I wonder what she could be after… let's see: she came from the Sound Village. I already know she came from there and here for the Chunin Exams, but why is she looking for "people"?

Maybe she's looking for relatives… that are part of the Hyuga Clan that she wants to see or recognize. She wants to find her family.

So I got you now you little smart one.) – Kakashi

"Well, I happen to know a lot about the Hyuga Clan, just in case those are the people you're looking for…" he said aloud, turning the other way.

I couldn't resist but look at him and widen my eyes, like he found out what I was doing so fast! I had a mad face on and wanted to ask him how he knew…

"Well? Do you want to know?" he asked with his back still turned.

I clenched my fists and looked at the ground. I put both my hands on my hips and leaned a little, "Okay then smart guy… you want to tell me what I want to know about those people?"

I thought I had stuck him there in the game of small wits.

"You want to find your family. Those are some answers you want from that clan," he said like as if it was dark and evil. Like as if I was going to do something bad..

I looked at him and raised another eyebrow, "Yeah… well played…"

"You see… that wasn't so hard to tell a stranger now was it?" he smiled and sounded calm again.

"I still don't get how you want to know so bad…"

"I just want to help you is all. I want to welcome you to the village and meet your descendents. Maybe you'll even find family here…" he replied.

(I also want to make sure you don't do anything suspicious around here. You are from the Sound Village after all, and they did attack us.) – Kakashi

"Well… can you tell me where they are? I've already told you what I was going to do," I told him.

(Smart of you.) – Kakashi

"In the middle of the village, passed the markets around here," he said to me, pointing to the direction I was facing.

"Alright I'll try and find it… thanks," I told him and jumped off.

(This won't be the last time I see you Dana Hyuga.

You're something else…) - Kakashi

I then took off and didn't notice that Kakashi sensei was following me the whole time. Before I found some family members I never thought I'd find I ran into a boy named Neji Hyuga. I asked him where he was from and who his parents were. He told me that he was cousins with Hinata and I responded with a caring gesture.

"Still looking for those answers of yours aren't you?" Kakashi said from behind and surprised us.

"Kakashi sensei?" Neji called.

"What are you doing here this time?" I urged to him.

"I was just about to tell you that now isn't the time for the Hyuga Clan to be giving any answers to anyone, more importantly they have something they need to deal with at the moment. Isn't that right Neji?" he told me and turned his head towards him. Neji looked to the ground and nodded with his eyes closed.

"Now why don't you go back inside your home to your uncle?" he said to Neji again, and he followed Kakashi's order and went the other way.

"What the hell?" I angrily spoke to him.

"You don't need to be going around asking questions like this." When he said that he turned to his left with suspicion and saw two men talking to each other away from us, and it was like they were hiding something in secret. I could tell Kakashi felt suspicious and he looked angry too.

"Well I'll see to it that I find what I'm looking for!" I took my hand away from his grasp and took a step back. We exchanged angry expressions towards each other.

"You know really all you have to do is wait right?" he tells me.

"Sorry but you won't convince me so easily whoever you are…" I said back to him.

"Byakugan!" I shouted and lunged at him with my palms forward. I could tell by his face that he was surprised I'd do this, but that didn't stop him from dodging to the side and grabbed my hands to my back so easily. He really is fast.

"Now don't do anything rash anymore, you hear me?" he said with his voice against my ear behind me.

I laid out a little grin after that. I could say this next part was a pretty good way to get out quickly.

"HELP ME! THIS MAN IS TRYING TO TAKE ME AWAY!" I shouted to the top of my lungs and noticed that a few people heard and looked towards us.

(What on earth is she thinking? People are coming toward us!) – Kakashi

"Hey you, what are you doing with that girl?" some man came up to us with two other men.

"Nothing. This is ninja business, please back away.." Kakashi responded kindly.

"The hell I'm going to believe that!" the man said back. "Let go of her man…" another man beside him said.

"I tell you, nothing is wrong here… this is strictly"-

"HE WONT LET GO OF ME! Please don't touch me anymore sir…" I really laid it on them this time..

In my mind I was thinking how genius this was. It was all part of the game of wits between a master and a student.

"Are you serious man?! You're sick!" the man leading the others said to him, grabbing Kakashi's arms and pulled him to the ground. "Take off that mask pervert! Who are you?"

The other men stood and surrounded Kakashi on the ground while I crept up alone with that same grin… some lady tried to come up to me while I was kneeling to see if I was okay, but I bolted out of there as soon as I could. I managed to escape, going into the house that Neji went into.

(That Hyuga girl… she beat me at a game of smarts. I CANNOT believe this… I need a vacation.) – Kakashi

(Finally, I can talk to somebody about my past!) – Dana Hyuga


End file.
